


My Bending Master

by Heichous_Poncho



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Armin doesn't take any of Eren's shit, Awkward Conversations, Ba Sing Se, Blow Jobs, Character Death, Earth Kingdom, Eventual Smut, Fire Nation, First Time, Humor, I think its a slow build, Lots of avatar references, M/M, Multi, Not Beta Read, Rated For Violence, Shingeki no Kyojin/ Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover, Slow Build, Spirit World, air temples, and language, long fic, lots of death, small bits and pieces of fluff, uses a little bit of everything, water tribes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-01
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-02-23 13:47:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 54
Words: 172,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2549777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heichous_Poncho/pseuds/Heichous_Poncho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlet will never forget May 10, 786. On that day their entire lives change, for better or worse they don't know. </p><p>Originally in this world, anyone could bend an element and humanity existed happily with each other. When the Titans, evil destructive spirits, attacked humankind, the people looked to the Avatar, master of all four elements and the only one strong enough to wipe the world of Titans. But the Titans have been winning against all the previous Avatars and increasing in their strength. Now it has come to the final stretch, the Titans against the Avatar. Whoever wins this, wins the fate of the world. There's only one problem: who is the Avatar?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. May 10, 786 part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for NaNoWriMo and i hope to update weekly or twice a week!  
> Enjoy! Updates will be twice on the weekends- one Saturday and the other on Sunday

May 10, 786. That day would forever be imprinted on the minds of Armin Arlet, Eren Jaeger, and Mikasa Ackerman. At the time, they did not know that they would soon be witnesses to one of the worst attacks the Earth Kingdom had seen yet. To them it started as plain and normal as any other day.   
-X-  
“Can we please take a break now Mom?” Eren was behind his mother and Mikasa, struggling to keep their pace. “We have been climbing for a long time now.” The three benders were climbing Mount Maria to an all too familiar cave. They would spend hours at a time doing what his mother called Emergency Drill. Anytime she would deem it appropriate, the three of them would go up to the hidden cave and she and Eren would make a hole in the ground to hide in then close the hole on top of them. What they were hiding from though, were destructive, evil spirits who left a trail of death wherever they went. Those destructive spirits were called Titans and nearly impossible to kill. Only the Avatar, master of all of the four elements, could kill a Titan. 

“Eren we just started. If you cannot walk anymore try earthbending your way up. Whatever gets you there the fastest.” Eren’ mother was Carla Jeager, a known earthbender in their busy little village called Shiganshina. His father, Grisha, had left them a little over a year ago to go to Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom’s capital, to help all the injured refugees coming into the city. He was a man who would often lose himself in his work and forget about Carla, Eren, and Mikasa. Even though Eren knew his father was doing good deeds, he still had a bitter resentment towards him for basically abandoning them. 

“Eren,” Mikasa said in a tired tone. “The ledge we turn at is in sight. Just push through a little more and we’ll be there soon.” Mikasa was Eren’s adoptive sister but their meeting was an unfortunate one he did not like to think about. Eren grunted and began to earthbend a ramp they could use to simply slide up instead of climbing. He thrust his hands out in front of him and jerked them down, feeling the earth bend to his will and smoothen out to the ledge. He then stomped on the ground with his right foot and began a climbing motion with his hands. The ground under all of their feet began moving and soon they were flying up the mountainside and reaching the turning ledge. With another stomp, Eren pushed himself, his mother, and Mikasa onto the ledge. As they sailed through the air, his mother bended the earth to her will, creating a small slide for easy landing. They all skid down to a stop and began walking to the left. Sure enough the cave was there before them. They got inside and Eren made a hole in the ground. Once everyone was in, he slapped his hands together and the rock above slid together, shielding them. 

“Do you guys remember what I told you yesterday?” Eren’s mother’s voice came out from seemingly nowhere. 

“Yes. I-if they ever attacked, we need to come up here immediately and not to wait for you.” Eren had a hard time getting out what his mom ordered him and Mikasa to do. Even though he knew his mother was a master earthbender, who had been teaching him for all seventeen years of his life, he did not want to leave her to her own devices in a Titan attack. 

“Okay then, the drill is over.” She flicked her hand out and the rock crumbled above them. She pushed herself up and pulled Eren and Mikasa out. She took their faces in her hand and spoke sweetly. “You both are getting so big. When your father comes back, he’ll be surprised to see how much you have both matured.” She chuckled slightly and continued. “It seemed like it was just yesterday that you would be trying to beat me in the backyard. You still cannot but your efforts are getting better with each try.” The last bit felt like it was more directed towards Eren but she ruffled both of their heads and embraced them. Mikasa smiled and buried her head in her mother’s shoulder. Eren smirked and returned the hug. After a few moments, they untangled themselves and began to walk out of the cave, the afternoon’s light shining on them. 

-X-

The trip back into town took slightly longer but they soon reached home. Eren ran up to open their door, hearing the familiar creak of when he accidently busted it with a rock. The door groaned and allowed Eren entry into the house. He dashed up the stairs to his messy room and changed out of his sweaty clothes. He slipped on his comfortable green long-sleeved shirt and some baggy dark brown pants. The bagginess allowed him to earthbend better. He then slipped on his shoes- comfortable brown flats. His hair was a mess as usual and did not bother trying to fix it. He gave his room a satisfied nod, despite its messiness, and left. He went down the hall to Mikasa’s room and found that she too had changed. She was wearing a comfortable red shirt that ended around her stomach and baggy maroon pants with her favorite brown boots that curled slightly at the front. She was just wrapping her neck with the battered red scarf Eren gave her when they first met at the age of nine when Eren came into room.

“So you still wear that thing?” Mikasa did not see him come in and jumped in surprise. She finished securing the scarf and nodded.

“It was gift from you so I will never throw it out.” She smiled as she said it and he knew that her words were true. 

“We should go so we can hang out with Armin. He always eats dinner early so we might miss him.” 

“Okay.”

Mikasa and Eren were about to leave before they heard their mother call out to them. “If you guys are going to see Armin, take this with you.” She came out of the kitchen with a bowl filled with soup. She placed a cover on top and gave it to Mikasa. “Do you mind keeping it warm for me please? His grandfather asked for soup the other day.” Mikasa nodded and lit her hands with fire. Even though Eren and his mom were earthbenders, they accepted Mikasa and her firebending without a second thought. 

“By the way, I am going to be making your favorites tonight so be home on time.” She gave Eren a stern look. “And please do not get into any fights today.” Eren scowled and looked off to the side.

“Alright, bye Mom!” They both left their house and walked down the street to go see Armin. 

“Eren! Mikasa!” When they each turned around, they saw Armin’s mass of blonde hair in the blur of people coming their way. Eren smiled when he saw his best friend practically running to catch them. 

“Hey Armin. We were about to go drop off some soup my mom made to your grandpa.” Armin smiled and panted, trying to catch his breath. 

“Yeah okay thanks. After that could you help me carry some heavy groceries back too?” Mikasa and Eren nodded and almost laughed at how winded their blonde friend was. It was especially funny that he was airbender and he could not catch a breath of air.

They began moving towards Armin’s house when there was a sharp gust of wind. Suddenly the row of houses in front of them blew up, wood and rock flying everywhere. The three of them were flung backwards and into a cabbage stand. Armin was the first up and began screaming, tears running down his face. “GRANDPA! GRANDPA!” Armin grabbed his hair and sunk to his knees, facing the broken remains of his childhood home. The same home that his grandpa was in, and the same one that was now obliterated. Everything turned to panic and chaos as people began running after realizing what was going on. 

The Titans were attacking.

Mikasa stood and hauled Armin and Eren to their feet. Armin could not stop screaming for his grandfather and Eren was still in shock. She grabbed Armin and shook him slightly. 

“Armin I know your grandfather is gone but you have to come with us. We will come back later and find him but we just die if we stay here like this.” Her words slowly sank into both Eren and Armin’s minds and they both began processing what was happening. Eren turned to Mikasa.

“We need to get Mom.” Mikasa shook her head. 

“We need to get to the cave. Remember what she said yesterday? She will meet us there but we have to go now.” 

“But she’s-“Eren stopped knowing that Mikasa did not want to really go to the cave but she was only listening to their mother’s request. “Okay. Let’s go.” 

The three young adults sprinted out of the road and to the village limits. They were shoved and hit by crowds of panicked people. Another Titan joined the first and they both were breaking buildings next to people. The other Titan went through a crowd of people, killing them by burning them alive. Eren began to run even faster than his legs could carry him. They almost reached the base of Mount Maria. Another Titan joined the pair and went straight to eliminating people. Soon the air was filled with screams of the burning rather than screams of the panicked and scared.   
They reached the mountain and Eren immediately began moving them with his earth ramp. Armin had tears still streaming down his face and when Eren looked out he saw why. At least ten Titans were now in Shiganshina and wreaking havoc on everything and everyone. Eren turned around and pushed himself harder. They reached the ledge after two more minutes and ran to the cave. Eren thrust his hands down and made a hole. After Mikasa and Armin were in he stood up and looked out to see if his mother was nearby. 

“Eren cover us!” Mikasa’s plea brought Eren back to his senses and he jumped back into the hole and slapped his hands together, closing the earth above them. Mikasa lit her hand with fire to provide light and they waited. 

They waited.

They waited.

And they waited.


	2. May 10, 786 part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren, Mikasa, and Armin wait for the attack to end. Eren lets the memories of his past overtake his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter than the first but I will try to keep them all the same length. Also thanks for all the kudos, comments, and just for reading this because honestly i did not think people would read this! You guys are the best! You can find me at: www.chibinico.tumblr.com

Mikasa, Armin, and Eren all sat together in silence in the hole Eren made. With each minute they stayed in the hole, they could hear the screams of the people and roars of buildings collapsing. Gradually the sounds of people quieted until there were no voices lingering in the air. The buildings were still. Eren closed his eyes and extended his senses. He could not feel any vibrations from Titans in the town. They must have gone back to the spirit world. 

He opened his eyes and looked across to Mikasa and Armin. Armin was clearly losing it; his brilliant blue eyes could not focus on anything and he kept muttering assurances to himself. Mikasa was quiet and withdrawn into herself. She had pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, except one arm she used to keep the fire going. Her eyes were dead again. The vacant expression in her eyes and face was back just like the day they first met eight years ago. Reluctantly, Eren let the memories of that day wash over him. 

-X-

He was going into a town near the edge of the Earth Kingdom with his father. They came originally so Eren could learn a different style of earthbending from someone other than his mother. When they arrived however, Eren was kidnapped and thrown into a wagon with some other kids. He found Mikasa in the back, eyes dead and a vacant expression on her face. He managed to bend a rock to sharp point and cut his feeble binds. He did the same to her binds and created a plan to free themselves and the other kids in the van. His plan was to bend a ditch in the ground in front of the horses to startle them and give the kids enough time to escape. Mikasa did not say anything other than her name and that she was a firebender and went along with Eren’s plan.   
Eren then ripped the cloth in the back of the wagon to jump out. Just as he was getting ready to jump, a hand grabbed his shirt and threw him backwards into the wall of the wagon. His vision blurred due to the force his head hit the wall. The man who did it approached him and grabbed his neck. He felt his feet leave the ground and he struggled to breathe, desperately pulling at the man’s hand. He saw Mikasa widen her eyes in fear for him. So he tried to call out to her.

“Mi-Mikasa! P-please,” he croaked. It was becoming harder to move and he could feel his head really begin to throb. “He-help me! Help me a-and we can live!” 

Eren had reached the end of his strength and his legs stopped kicking and became limp. His arms would soon do the same. He forced his eyes open to look at Mikasa one more time before he became still. Suddenly he fell to the floor, coughing but alive. He opened his eyes and saw Mikasa standing up. The other kids all cowered behind her, trying to stay safe. Eren looked at the man and saw him cradling his hand. Mikasa must have burned him. The man turned and ran towards Mikasa. She began shaking and flames licked her hands. Eren realized she was shaking with rage towards the man. As the man tried to grab her hair, Mikasa screamed and let all her rage control her motions. She hit him with full force, white hot flames in the head. The man wailed in pain and tried to clutch his face before jerking his hands back from the fire’s touch. Mikasa did not stop attacking though. She continued to hound the man with fire until he was in the door frame. She then stuck two fingers together and made a slow downward arc. The air around her fingers crackled and popped until a small arc of lightning formed. She added her other hand and soon she had two arcs of lightning formed. Eren lifted his hand to try and tell her it was enough but he could not get the words out. Mikasa touched her fingertips together and blasted the man out of the doorframe. It was clear that he was dead before he even reached the ground.   
The fight had left cloth singed in some places and a small fire began in the back of the wagon. The other kids began panicking and tried to squeeze out all at once. The wagon stopped moving, probably because the driver saw the smoke. More kids jumped but Eren was too weak to move in time and the smoke in the wagon was not helping him breathe any better. He felt himself being dragged by Mikasa to the door. He struggled to his feet and they both jumped out together. He hit the ground hard and felt something snap in his ankle along with searing pain coming in waves in his right leg. The other man, the wagon driver, began running towards the children yelling about how he would make them regret this. Eren could see how exhausted Mikasa was but she stood up anyway and hit the man with fire. The man stumbled and Mikasa delivered the final blow with a cry of anger. 

 

When the soldiers finally found them, most of the kids went with their parents. Eren had said goodbye to Mikasa but after seeing her stay by herself, he went back with his father. “Who are you going with?”

She replied in a voice softer than a whisper. “No one. I have no home anymore. Those men killed my parents.” Her eyes began to overflow with water and tears began to fall from her eyes and drip off her chin. She looked up to him and spoke louder and rushed. “This world is cruel Eren! I woke up this morning in my bed and eating with my mom and dad. Now they are both dead! My house burned to the ground! What do I do? I have no one!” She pressed her hands to the sides of her head and cried harder. Whispering to herself, she kept repeating, “They are dead. My mom and dad are gone.” 

Eren went up to her. “That’s not true,” he said with a firm voice. Mikasa looked up, her eyes filled with anguish and sadness. “You do have a family. I’ll be your family. You can come live with me and I will protect you.” He took off his newly bought red scarf and wrapped it around her head until only her eyes could be seen. He took her hand and looked at his father. Quickly, Eren’s dad spoke. 

“Mikasa you can stay with us and we will be your new family, alright?” They all went to the train station and they sat in the back of the train. Eren’s father had bandaged Eren’s ankle but it was broken like he feared. Eren was still holding Mikasa’s hand and she fell asleep on his shoulder while he looked out at the earthbenders powering the train.   
He looked at her and repeated his promise. “I will protect you. I promise.”

-X-

Eren shook the memories from his head but grabbed Mikasa’s hand giving it a squeeze. “We can go back to the village. The Titans are gone.” He slid his hands apart and the earth above mimicked his movements. They walked out of the cave as the sun was beginning to fall. They walked to Eren’s ramp and slid down. They reached the ground sooner than expected and stood dizzily. Slowly they walked back to the ruins of Shiganshina and braced themselves for the worst. 

Even with their vivid imaginations, nothing could have prepared them for what they saw.


	3. May 10, 786 part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren, Mikasa, and Armin all go to the remains of Shiganshina and are overwhelmed by sorrows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF DEATH AND BLOOD  
> I know some people have a thing with that so just a warning in advance. The graphic part is only in the beginning paragraphs and a very very brief mention of bodies near the end.  
> You can find my tumblr in my bio. Enjoy!

The sun was nearly done with its daily game of hide and seek by the time the three benders made their way to the ruins of their beloved village. The silence in the air was unnerving to Eren. Only hours ago, the air was filled with the noise of a happy village. Now it seemed like it was just a dream that people actually had lived here.

They passed into the village limits and all gasped in shock. It was much worse than they could have imagined. Bodies were everywhere. Children in their mother’s arms, people buried underneath the rubble of the houses that housed them. If they were not crushed under the rubble, they were burned. Armin sank to ground and tried not to vomit. Eren began walking further into the ruins. He was careful not to step on anyone. Eventually the bodies became more and more mutilated. He had heard that the Titans were ruthless and could care less about humans but he could never imagine this. Several people had missing limbs or complete halves of their bodies. 

After getting through the village square, he turned onto his street. He heard footsteps behind him and glanced behind him to see who was walking. It was Mikasa but she was alone. “Where’s Armin?” 

Mikasa spoke softly when she answered, emotion void of her voice. “He went to see if he could find his grandpa.” 

Eren nodded and waited for Mikasa to catch up with him before he turned and walked down to their house. He felt dread build up in his chest and he quickened his pace. He thought of his mother and all the kind things she had done for them. How she would ruffle his hair even though he objected, saying seventeen was too old to be babied. Or how when she would still go easy on Eren when training him in earthbending. Now he and Mikasa both began running to their home, tears slowly beginning to form. His mother could not be dead and of course she was not. No one could kill his mother; she was the best earthbender in the entire village. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the ruins of his house. The roof had caved in and the walls broken. The familiar door that he broke was now laying in the front yard, snapped in two. He and Mikasa ran up to the front steps and began moving rubble. 

“MOM? MOM WHERE ARE YOU?” both Mikasa and Eren shouted. Eren dug his shoulder into the front of the roof and shoved. Mikasa joined his efforts and slowly the roof was moved back. He saw a red fabric sway when he moved the roof and immediately knew it was his mother’s favorite red skirt. He jumped back and carefully lifted his hand. Pillars of earth were erected from the ground and began to push the roof upward. Mikasa and Eren looked in horror as the rubble cleared and they saw the body of their once warm and loving mother stuck under a bolder. Eren ran to her and observed the scene. His mother’s entire upper body was stuck under the boulder with the exception of her right arm. He bent down and felt her wrist for a pulse. The arm was stiff and cold so he placed it back down, already knowing the answer. He gripped the bottom of the bolder to remove it but withdrew his hand after feeling a sticky puddle: his mother’s blood. Tears began to flow steadily down his face. They dripped off his chin and splashed onto his mother’s hand. He remembered how earlier that same day she used that hand to ruffle his hair and give him a hug. Something she would never do again.

“No. Why didn’t you just come with us? We-we could have helped you.” Eren’s words began to sound jumbled and thick with his emotions. “W-why did you t-tell us to leave you Mom? W-we should have c-come back. We-we could have h-helped. Y-you…” Eren threw his head back in grief. “YOU COULD HAVE LIVED!” He broke down and began sobbing, bent over his mother’s arm. He clutched her arm tightly and kept sobbing regrets. Mikasa joined him, tears overflowing her face. 

“You were my second mother. I-is it because of me? Am I a cursed child? I-I cause death w-wherever I go. A-a child is only supposed to have o-one mother and father, r-right?” Mikasa’s voice wavered, voice now filled with emotion. “W-why is it then t-that I h-had t-two? You weren't s-supposed to d-die. Y-you and Eren. Y-you a-are my family. B-but y-you are g-gone. I-I am so s-sorry!” Mikasa too began sobbing, clutching onto her second mother’s skirt and hugging her legs. 

The night eventually came and they fell asleep next their deceased mother.  
-X-

Eren woke to the tight feeling of his face. He opened his eyes unwillingly and was forced to remember what had happened the day before. He glanced down at his hand, still clenched tightly around his mom’s. He took a deep breath to settle himself and forced himself to let go of her hand. As he let go of his mother’s hand, he glanced at Mikasa. She was slumped over his mother’s legs, clutching onto her skirt. He stirred her awake and looked into her red eyes. 

“Mikasa, do you remember what I told you when we took you home with us?” She nodded her head. “I still promise I will protect you. We are still a family and you are my sister. I will not let you get hurt.” She nodded and looked down at their mother. He gently tipped her chin up. “Hey, look at me. I know how much you loved her, but we have to let her go now.” His voice broke at the last word but he pushed himself on for her sake. “S-she would not want us to be miserable. We have to live on, for her. See all the wonders of the world, everything for her. As for me, I am going to make sure no one feels our pain. One way or another, I will drive all the Titans out from our world and make sure they never see the light of day again.” Eren stood up, determination ablaze in his eyes. “I will wipe the world of them. I will, I swear to you Mikasa and to you Mom. They will be gone one day.”

Mikasa stood up and let go of their mother’s skirt. “I will too. I swear to you Eren I will help you in any way that I can to drive these insufferable creatures out. They will not hurt my family or anyone else’s.” She took Eren’s hand in her own and squeezed it gently. 

“I will too.” Mikasa and Eren both whirled around to see Armin walking up to them. He seemed as if he already accepted his grandfather’s death and regained control of himself. “I know I am not that strong, but I refuse to do nothing. I will help the best I can, I swear it to you guys both.” Eren turned back to look at his mother one last time. 

“Thank you for everything you gave to me Mom. I will see you later and I will wipe the Titans from our world. I love you.” Eren patted her hand one last time and turned to walk to Armin. Mikasa quickly said thank you to her mother and turned to follow Eren. The three began walking out to the remains of the town market. There was still some food intact that they would need for their long journey ahead of them. “Hey guys?” Eren began. “We need to get some help before we can actually reach our goal of destroying all the Titans.” Mikasa and Armin both nodded. “Armin, do you still have any maps of towns nearby?”

“I did but they were destroyed. I know that there is a town across the Rose Desert. It is called Trost. By foot though, it should take at least month to reach.”

Eren gaped at his best friend. “A month? Is there anything closer? This supply of food will not last for a month.” 

He friend shook his head. “I do not remember any other town closer that could actually help us. Unless…” Armin trailed off in thought. He widened his eyes and snapped his fingers. “What date is it?”

“It is May 11.” Mikasa spoke softly but there was emotion creeping back into her voice. 

“We can wait until the traders come and then we can tell them what happened. After they hear our story, we should be able to hitch a ride back to their town and maybe get some form of transportation to Trost!” Armin was clearly excited and believed their plan would work.

“Alright then. We can live off the food here until the traders arrive. That should be when?”

“In two days. I know the bodies may start to smell so we could bury them in a mass grave or take shelter in the cave in Mount Maria. Personally though, I think it would be better if we went to Mount Maria. Who knows how many people, women and children, were killed? I cannot handle that.” Armin grabbed his stomach, the thought making him sick. 

“I agree with you Armin. We should live in the cave, in case the Titans attack here again. First though, we need to get some food together. Mikasa what happened to the pot of soup Mom gave you before the attack.”

“I dropped it when we crashed into the cabbage cart. I do not know if it broke or not but it probably did. None of us are waterbenders either so it’s not like we can bend it out of the ground if it spilled.”

“On the contrary Mikasa,” Eren said with a smirk on his face. “I can bend the earth around the spill so that it all comes together into a bowl. Then I can bend the rocks out of the soup. You reheat it with your firebending and then Armin can try to airbend it into separate bowls or something.” 

“Eren you know I am not really an airbender. I cannot really do anything like that. Sure, I am quite an efficient duster but still. I do not even have my glider anymore. It got destroyed in the attack.” Armin glanced down at the ground, sadness in his eyes. He got that glider as a gift from his parents when they were returning from seeing the air temples. Unfortunately, the ship they were sailing in to come home was overturned in a fierce storm and they did not survive. Armin lived with his grandpa until yesterday. Now he was just another orphan, like his best friends. Eren immediately tried to comfort Armin.

“Hey it’s okay. We can just eat from the same bowl. It does not really matter anyway.” Armin gave a small smile and started walking in the direction of the cabbage stand. The cabbages were still intact for the most part and the pot of soup was knocked over next to it. Eren flexed his hand and the ground caved on itself. Soup ran down into the hole, filling it midway. He next raised his make-shift bowl and bended out bits of dirt. Eren handed Mikasa the bowl and went to search for spoons. Mikasa just finished reheating the soup when Eren came back, three spoons in hand. Eren tossed Armin and Mikasa a spoon and began to dig in. In his mind, Eren said a quick thank you to his mom and continued to eat his favorite meal for the last time. 

 

The next two days passed slowly, spent mainly by scavenging for food. They went into Shiganshina less now that the bodies began decaying. There was an assortment of food in Mount Maria so they did not feel the need to leave the mountain sanctuary. On the last predicted day of waiting, they decided to catch some sleep for their long travels to come. Eren woke with a start before he even began to dream. He looked at his hands and placed them on the ground, closing his eyes. Just like he sensed a moment ago, he felt little jostles in the ground. The rhythmic pattern reminded him of a wagon approaching. He widen his eyes as he realized that it was an approaching wagon. The traders must have arrived. 

“Guys wake up!” Eren shook Mikasa’s and Armin’s shoulders gently. “The traders will be here soon. We have to go to the village and get their help.” Mikasa sat up tiredly and nodded her head at him. Armin groaned and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. 

The three orphaned seventeen year olds made their way down Mount Maria. They were in no hurry to leave their home, despite the fact they had nothing to stay for. As they approached where the village gate used to stand, the traders’ wagon pulled up. A petite woman with strawberry blonde hair jumped out of the wagon. She was dressed in a half-sleeved blue shirt and black pants. She wore small tightly fit boots, as if she was a person who ran a lot. As she turned to the trio, her smile fell from her face and her eyes widened.

“What happened here?” the woman asked sternly. 

“Titans attacked the village, it used to be Shiganshina. We three are the only survivors. Everyone else is dead.” Eren did not bother trying to exaggerate how they felt; it was clear enough on their faces what had happened. The woman gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. 

“How long ago was the attack?”

“Two days ago, May 10. May I ask your name and where you are going?”

The woman straightened up and spoke clearly. “My name is Petra Ral. I am going to Trost, a city across the Rose Desert. You can come and stay with me as long as you would like.” Eren vigorously nodded his head, gracious of Petra’s hospitality. 

“My name is Eren and this is my sister Mikasa and my friend Armin.” He gestured to each as he said their names and continued. “I am an earthbender, Mikasa is a firebender, and Armin is an airbender in training.” Petra chucked to herself and spoke up. 

“It looks like the four elements have gathered; I am a waterbender.” She glanced at the village, “I was going to do some trade here before I left for Trost but I think I will just keep the food rations I have for you. We should leave before it reaches noon if we hope to reach the Rose Desert tonight. I would say final goodbyes too; I doubt you will ever come home to here again.” Petra turned and began to ready the wagon for them.

Eren turned to Shiganshina one last time. “I will wipe them out and make them pay for what they did. I swear I will. Goodbye.” He felt his eyes prickle so he frantically wiped at his eyes. If Mikasa saw his tears, it would only make her hurt more. He turned and climbed into the wagon, sitting comfortably next to Mikasa. They all looked back at the remains of their home and watched as they got smaller and smaller, until they could no longer be seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE CHAPTER POST! For those looking for Ereri, please be patient but I promise it will come. The plot has to thicken before I can introduce romance. Chapter 4 will be out tomorrow and thanks for reading!!


	4. The Rose Desert

The journey to Trost was hard and perilous. The first night was the hardest for Eren. He had ever been one to like the sand because he could not bend it. The sand would make him feel disoriented and often lose his bearings. When he could not earthbend, he felt like one of his major senses had been cut and severed from his being. Even though he could not earthbend, he did enjoy the sights of this vast world. Living in Shiganshina for so long, he tended to believe that there was no actual sights to see outside of Mount Maria and the village square. The large sloping hills of sand were a delightful change in scenery, even it made him feel horrible. 

When the sun was at its highest point, Petra stopped the wagon and came into the back where Eren, Mikasa, and Armin stayed. She opened the door and plopped down on the bench across from them. “Holy shit it is boiling out there.” She gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. “I am so sorry I did not mean to swear like that in front of you kids.”  
Armin piped up. “It is okay, honestly. We are all seventeen.”

“Really? Maybe it could be just me, but I thought you all were at least fifteen or sixteen. You Armin, you look fifteen.” Armin blushed slightly and looked away. “Anyway, I did not stop the cart to ask you about your ages. We need to stop to give the horses a break and to rest. It is usually cooler at night so we will continue traveling then. Are you thirsty at all?” The three nodded aggressively. “Okay then come outside.” Mikasa followed Petra, followed by Eren and Armin. Once out of the cart, Petra thrust her hands out in the air and concentrated. A trickle of sweat ran down the side of her face. Eren was about to tell her it was okay and not to strain herself but he had no need to. Petra suddenly moved her arms gently to her right and made a circular motion. Water began to appear near her hands; she was bending the water out of the air that surrounded them. She continued to move her arms in a circular motion, collecting as much water as she could. She soon began to move hers arms faster, creating more water to drink with each turn. 

“Armin,” she grunted. “Get me my water case. It is in the front of the wagon. In the driver’s section.” Armin nodded and went to retrieve the water case. By now, Petra had created a sizable bubble of water. Her arms were beginning to shake from having to keep the water afloat. Eren had not noticed before, but Petra had a lot of muscle on her arms. He guessed that at one point she was a fighter of some sort. Armin came back holding the water case. Petra grunted towards him again. “Open it and hold it tightly. Whatever you do, do not let it slip from your grasp.” Armin tightened his fingers on the case and nodded. Petra raised her arms and the bubble of water followed her commands; slowly it rose above her head. Then as quick as lightning, she flung the water into the case. The force pushed Armin back a couple steps but none had spilled. Petra dropped her arms and breathed heavily. “You guys have the first sips, but not too much. Drawing water like that is hard for me so that will have to last us a day.” They all nodded in unison and began sipping the water. 

“Where will we be sleeping if it is too hot to travel? Mikasa asked respectfully. 

“We sleep in the wagon. Speaking of which, that’s where I will be for the next couple of hours okay? Try to keep it down and not to stray too far from here.” With those tired words, Petra walked back to the wagon and closed the door behind her. Eren sat down in the sand instead of following her. Mikasa and Armin stayed behind with him. He picked up the sand and closed his eyes, trying to feel the miniscule particles of earth in each grain. A particle that was calling to him. Naturally of course, he felt nothing. He opened his eyes in disappointment, glaring at the sand in front of him. 

“Are you trying to learn to bend the sand?” Armin asked, head tilted. 

Eren turned his head to Armin. “Yeah, are you?” Armin looked at a mound of sand in front of him. He stretched his hand out over the mound as flexed his fingers. At first nothing happened. Then Eren saw a small sphere of air encase the mound of sand. Sand particles floated within the sphere for a few seconds before the air sphere dissolved. Armin turned back to face his friends. 

“I cannot airbend. I need a master so I can learn. When we get to Trost, will you guys help me find one? Or maybe we can ask Petra…” The blonde continued in his theories and possible situations quietly. Mikasa placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Armin,” she spoke clearly. He jerked his head up. “Calm down. We can find you a master in no time. Right now though, we should get some rest. Who knows how long we will be here for?” She got up and led them to the wagon. Upon opening the door, the sound of Petra’s quiet snores filled the air. Armin and Mikasa took up the rest of the other bench so Eren laid down on the floor much to Mikasa’s discomfort. 

“Eren, let me sleep on the floor.”

“No Mikasa. Besides it is just a floor. I will be fine.” She nodded her head, trusting his words, and rested her head on Armin’s shoulder. Eren rolled over to face Petra and nodded off. He had the weirdest dream then, almost like an unnerving nightmare. He dreamt of his mother crying to him. 

“Eren,” she said. “Eren, I am so sorry that I died. That I could not tell you in time.” Eren’s dream body could not handle the sight before him. His mother was surely the woman in front of him crying but she seemed different. He realized it was her shirt and an apron. The usually beige shirt and white apron were now a sickly shade of red. It did not make sense to him why he would dream of his mother like this. He tried to change the color but to no avail. His mother snapped at him. “Eren! Listen to me! I cannot stay long, the others will pull me out. Listen carefully and do not forget this. Go find Erwin Smith. He should be able to help you. I warn you now my son, this road you will travel will have many hardships but you have to get through them.” Her image flickered, and when she reappeared, her face looked pained. “I probably will not be able to see you again Eren, but I love you and tell Mikasa I love her.” Her form flickered again and when she reappeared, her face was ashen but her eyes shone with defiance. “Eren, I have to tell you something important. You-“Her form flickered again but this time she did not reappear. 

Eren shot awake, drenched in cold sweat. He pressed a shaky, sweaty hand to his face. “What the hell was that? What was she saying? What about me?” Trying to shake the dream from his mind, he looked outside. The sun was sinking behind the endless hills of sand and a cool breeze blew through his hair, making it messier than it already was. 

“Are you alright?” A gentle voice came from behind him and he whipped his head around. He had forgotten they were traveling with Petra. Her eyes were filled with concern for him. It reminded him of his own mother, even if she was just a couple years older than him. 

Realizing he did not answer he quickly responded, “Yeah I-I am fine. Just a nightmare.”

She pressed on. “Do you want to talk about it? I am a great listener.”

Eren did not want to tell her about his dream but he found that the words flowed out of his mouth. “I dreamed that I saw my dead mother and she was trying to tell me something. It does not make sense though because her shirt was like covered with blood from where she was killed and like, why would I dream that up? She seemed real I guess? Like at the end of my dream, her image kept flickering, one second she was here the next she was not. The way she was talking, it was as if she was not allowed to be in contact with me but she did it anyway. She told me to find some man named Erwin Smith.” Petra tensed visibly when he said the name. Then she forced a smile so fast, Eren thought it was only his imagination. “She was going to tell me something really important, something about me, and then her form flickered out permanently. After that I woke up.” 

“Well that…your dream…umm. Sorry Eren I do not think I can help you there with deciphering what your mother wanting to tell you. I can however, tell you about Erwin Smith. He is a good friend of mine but he and his traveling companions are not in Trost. They just went to The Impenetrable City-“

Eren gasped, eyes wide in surprise. “You mean Ba Sing Se? Isn’t that place indestructible with its walls?”

“It has great defenses but nothing is indestructible. But they should be there for about one to two months. Maybe you can talk to him when they get back?” She shrugged her shoulders and stood up. “I think now is a good time to get moving. Mikasa and Armin can keep sleeping if they want to. We should reach Trost in about a week, going by this schedule.” She hopped out of the wagon and moved to the front. In a matter of minutes they were on the way toward Trost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 tomorrow!!  
> Thanks for reading!!  
> Leave a comment below to tell me what you think!


	5. The Rose Desert part 2

On the third night, Eren decided to tell Mikasa and Armin about his nightmare/vision dream. They both had surprised looks on their faces. Armin spoke up first. “How long ago was this?” 

“It was three nights ago I think, the night we started traveling,” Eren replied. 

“And you are definitely sure it was your mother?”

“Positive. It must have been her spirit or something because I was not familiar with the name Erwin Smith at all. And she already knew she was dead. Her image kept flickering too, like she was half there and half not.” Armin looked at Mikasa, who drew the ratty red scarf to just below her nose. It was her signal to them to let her be for the time being, to let her calm down. Eren could tell she was distraught from hearing about Eren’s dream. Her eyes met Armin’s and she spoke up. 

“I have not had any dreams about Mom. Or my other parents. Why do you…” She trailed off, a far-away look in her expression. She drew the scarf even tighter around her face. 

“I really do not know. She was going to say something to me but we got cut off. It was something about me though. Do you guys know anything? Anything you might have heard her slip at some point?” He looked desperately to the both of them. Armin shook his head but Mikasa looked away from him. “Mikasa do you know something?”

“It is not much to go off but I did hear her say something when we began doing the drills. She had said ‘I must protect him, he has to be safe.’ I did not know what she meant and I still do not know though. Maybe it was just because you are her son? I’m sorry Eren but I really just don’t know.” She tugged at her scarf nervously. Eren decided to drop the subject and ask the man named Eren Smith what his mother meant when he met the man. 

Just then Petra stopped the wagon. She ran to the back of the wagon and opened the door, her usual cheery smile replaced by a deep grimace. “Eren can you bend the sand?”

“What do you mean? Like I can sort of bend it-“

“Eren. I need a clear answer right now. Can you or can you not? Yes or no?” Petra glanced behind her and turned back to face him, fear slowly consuming her face. Eren immediately knew something was wrong. 

“I can bury us into the sand but no guarantees about getting us out. What’s wrong?” 

Petra nodded her head, planning their movements. “Do not panic but there is a Titan about a mile or two away from us. We need to get to a shelter of some sort but there is no place to hide from them in the desert. Eren I might need you to bend the sand into a deep enough hole that the wagon can sink into. We can worry about the repercussions later. Right now I need to focus on getting you three to Trost if you are speak to Erwin.” She looked behind her again and swore. “Actually forget that. We may need to fight it. Luckily it is by itself so we stand a chance.”

“Wait slow down Petra,” Eren said, voice quavering. “I thought we could hide, focus on seeing Erwin.”

“We do not have the time. The Titan caught our scents and is heading this way. It won’t stop for anything now. I sincerely wish we did not have to fight it but it’s the only way. Armin can you do an air slice?” The small blonde knit his eyes in confusion and shook his head. Petra let out a small sigh. “It’s a lot like waterbending so I can help teach it to you quickly. All of you listen, the only way to kill a Titan is to hit the nape of its neck with all the four elements simultaneously. We still need to inflict damage on it somehow beforehand but that is the finishing strike. It must be simultaneous or else it will just heal itself. Mikasa and I will ambush it to inflict damage. You and Armin will be our back up, Eren. Try to take out where it stands but most importantly, help Mikasa and me in battle. Give us lifts if you can and stuff.” She turned behind her and looked out to the Titan. Its shape was undoubtedly growing, it was approaching them. “Shit. We have maybe two to four minutes before it reaches us at best. Armin come with me.” Armin stood up shakily and followed Petra outside. 

Eren got up to follow them, wanting to try to practice sand bending in the time he had left. He suddenly felt a hand grab his wrist. Mikasa grabbed him and looked into his eyes. He was sure that she could see the determination and anger in his eyes. Fear however was the only thing in her eyes. “Eren, promise me something.” He nodded, urging her to continue. “Please do not die. I cannot lose my family.” 

“Mikasa, that piece of shit killed our mother. I will not let it kill me. But you promise me that you will kick its ass.” Mikasa widened her eyes at Eren’s sudden change of attitude. She nodded her head and looked away. He gently pulled her chin so she would be facing him. “I did not hear you promise,” he said lightly, trying to calm her down. 

“I promise to kick that Titans’ ass for you.” Mikasa smiled and pulled off the ratty red scarf from her neck. She shook it out twice and then rewrapped it around her neck tightly, being sure to make it tight enough not to get in her face while fighting. Mikasa looked Eren in the eye, all traces of fear gone and relaced by anger and determination, then nodded and made her way to the door. Eren knew that look all too well. It was the look that showed she would do whatever it took to keep him safe, to keep everyone safe. Eren followed her and stepped outside into the cool desert night air. 

Eren felt the vibrations in the sand from the Titan the minute he stepped out of the wagon. It was rapidly approaching, as if it sensed they were not trying to flee from it. He stomped down on the sand and quickly turned his foot. The sand beneath him and on his feet quickly hardened into a more earthlike form. He moved to other areas of sand, turning each location into an earthlike state. This way he could help them and stay away from wherever the Titan might go. 

To his left, Mikasa was practicing her firebending. She was a prodigy according to her old master from Shiganshina and had already mastered the advanced techniques. She breathed out in puffs with each attack, strengthening each blast of fire. Her tightly fit boots helped her to move across the sand like a shadow and her skills at hand-to-hand combat were second to none. Eren stopped and watched his sister in awe. Sometimes he wished he was a firebender just so he could fight Mikasa and see who was a better fighter truly. Their battles were never fair because he bended a different element although he knew deep down one day their even duel would come.

Behind Eren, was Armin and Petra doing water and air slices at sand mounds. Armin had drastically improved under Petra’s guidance even though he learned for less than five minutes. He could hone his blade of air so thin and sharp, it cut multiple sand mounds in half. It was his only attack so he practiced making it the best he could. Petra, on the other hand, was bending water out into the water cases on her back. Once satisfied with the amount of water inside, she began walking toward the Titan. Eren could no longer ignore the vibrations and so he turned and called to Petra. 

“We are out of time. The Titan will be here in about, thirty seconds.” They all turned and faced the approaching Titan, trying not to let the irrational fear paralyze them. 

The Titan did not meet Eren’s expectations of being an evil spirit. It exceeded them. The Titan had a mist-like black body, filled with flickering flames. Its arms draped down almost to its shins but it had relatively short legs in comparison to the rest of its huge body. The most unsettling part of the Titan was its face. It had exaggerated but definitely human features. The Titan had large mud brown eyes that were squinted, a long nose, and an abnormally small smile. It opened its mouth and roared, breathing fire into the air from inside its body. Eren and the others immediately covered their ears, the roar exerting forceful air and piercing sound waves towards them. 

It turned towards them and began running. Petra and Mikasa ran towards it, fire and water ready. Eren ran to the nearest spot of earthlike sand and thrust his hands up. Pillars erected underneath Petra’s and Mikasa’s feet and suddenly they were airborne, flying through the night. The Titan saw its incoming threats but it was not fast enough to try and defend itself. Mikasa shot two blasts of fire into each of its eyes to take out its vision. While the Titan roared in pain clutching at its burned eyes, Petra pulled water out of the air and attacked, using water blades at the Titan, effectively cutting through it and dousing its inner fire. The Titan stumbled to where Eren and Armin were, trying to evade the pair of deadly women. 

Eren stomped at the hardened sand and four sandy earthlike boulders rose from the ground. He waited until the Titan neared him and then punched a boulder with his fist. It collided with the Titan’s foot and knocked it over. He then moved his arms in a series of elaborate motions and the sand moved sluggishly to his will. The sand fastened itself around the Titan’s hands and feet and hardened. The Titan let a frustrated cry out and struggled against Eren’s restraints. Eren kept his hands where they were; if he moved, the bonds would weaken and the Titan would easily escape.  
Mikasa, Petra, and Armin took their opportunity and ran towards the Titan’s neck but Eren stood still. His strength was sapping away each minute he kept up the restraints. He could feel the sand beginning to sift apart on the Titan; his arms wavered. 

“EREN! COME ON! WE NEED YOU TO BE HERE SO WE CAN KILL IT!” Petra’s voice rang out across the sands to Eren, jostling him out of his thoughts. He looked at the Titan and decided to take his best chance. He stomped the ground while forcing a fist up and spikes of hardened sand impaled itself into the Titan. It let out another shriek and Eren took the chance to run. He sprinted to the nape of its neck and prepared a smaller, sharper spike. Armin took his stance for his air slice; Mikasa pressed her fingertips together, lightning encircling them. Petra took her stance for her water blades and began counting. “ONE.” Everyone tensed. “TWO.” The Titan began moving now that the spikes in its body were slowly disintegrating. “THREE!” They all drove their hands down, their element following their instructions and they simultaneously hit the Titan’s neck. The Titan froze and slowly, its black misty body began evaporating under them. First, its legs went, then arms, abdomen, and finally the face. 

Mikasa ran to Eren and hugged him tightly; Petra did the same to Armin, applauding him on his flawless execution of the air slice. But Eren did not feel right. Something in him stirred and he fell into the darkness of his mind as the sun began creeping into view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and leaving kudos!! Chapter 6 will be next Saturday! You can find me on tumblr at: www.chibinico.tumblr.com


	6. Trost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren wakes up in a new city and new people.

Eren woke to the feel of a hard bench underneath him. He struggled to open his eyes, they were so heavy. It felt like he was in a room full of windows but the drapes were closed and would not budge, no matter how hard he tried. He tried to move his fingers and found that he could but only slightly. He also found that there was an object in his hand so he squeezed it as hard as he could, which was really only a gentle nudge. A new wave of darkness overcame him and he fell under its spell, into a dreamless sleep. 

The next time Eren woke, he was fully awake. He tried to open his eyes and this time he could. A blast of light bore into his sensitive eyes and he instinctively tried to use his hand to shield his face. He was surprised to find that he was gripping another person’s hand but even more surprised when he saw his surroundings. He was in a little pond, clothed thankfully, inside a house with a person slumped over his hand. After getting his bearings, he realized the person was Mikasa. She was sleeping quietly but Eren nudged her awake.

“Mikasa. Hey, Mikasa.” She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. When she saw who woke her up, all traces of tiredness vanished. Her eyes became filled with tears and she hugged her brother securely. “What the hell? Why are you crying?”

Mikasa leaned back and wiped her eyes. “Eren do you know how long you’ve been asleep?” He shook his head. “It’s been four whole days. After we defeated that Titan in the dessert, you went into this state and wouldn’t wake up. We’ve been taking you to different healers in the city but everyone was saying the same thing. We finished the trip and we are now in Trost. I guess we can go back to Petra’s place since you’re awake.” She furiously rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and stood up slowly, stretching out her muscles. She lent him a hand and he took it, leaning heavily on his sister. 

“What happened to me? In the desert I mean.” 

“Well specifically, you fell into the sand and it started spinning. It only circled you so I thought you were doing it but after some time, I realized something was not right. I went to help you but the sand became really thick and none of us could pass it. Did anything happen on your end?” 

“I was just asleep. I woke up once on the wagon I think; I was on a bench but I couldn’t open my eyes and I blacked out again. That time was a little weird. I thought I heard voices but it was probably just you guys talking and I happened to hear.” Mikasa nodded her head and prodded Eren along. 

“Anything else?”

“No that’s all I remember.” Eren took a step towards the door with Mikasa, trying not to seem so out of it. “Where are we going again?” 

“To Petra’s house,” Mikasa declared. “She said we can live with her and her comrades until Erwin came back but only if we can take the others without complaint. That’s where Armin is right now. I think you may like her comrades but I don’t know them too much myself. I have been in here with you for a while and we got to Trost yesterday.” Eren made another grueling step, letting out a grunt. “Eren, I gave you my support to help you so please let me,” Mikasa snapped in an exasperated tone. Reluctantly, Eren transferred most of his weight onto Mikasa and effortlessly she walked them both to the door. 

“We aren’t walking to Petra’s house are we? Because if we are, I doubt that I will last the trip.” Eren could feel the sweat gathering above his brow. He felt embarrassed, he single-handedly restrained a Titan, not even in his proper element but now he could not even walk to a door alone. 

Mikasa chuckled to herself. “Eren we already are in Petra’s house. She has a healing pond in her basement in case someone gets hurt. She was healing you earlier but left to get lunch ready. She figured that if you woke up, you would be starving.” Now that Mikasa mentioned food, his stomach began growling at him. He clutched his stomach and nodded vigorously, a small smile finding its way on his face. It had been his first smile since Shiganshina was destroyed and his world fell apart. 

Mikasa walked them through the door and up a flight of stairs. When she opened the door, Eren looked at his new home. The house was average sized and nicely furnished. To his left was the living room, his right the dining room, and in front of him the family room. The family room had a tall arching ceiling that rose to the roof. The walls were painted a light green with accents of gold curtains and blankets. The couches looked so comfortable, Eren’s legs were beginning to shake. Mikasa brought them toward the family room and sat Eren down then walked to the kitchen to prepare him a snack of some sort to eat until Petra returned. Eren continued to marvel at Petra’s home. There was a little coffee table in the center of the floor rug, covered with old newspapers. The latest newspaper was from last week with a dreadful picture on the front cover. In bold letters the headline read, “Titans Attack Shiganshina! Only three survivors to make it alive are missing.” Intrigued by the article, Eren bent over and picked it up. 

It read,” Town in shambles. People dead. This was the work of the Titans. These beasts have us outnumbered and yet we still do not have an inkling on how to stop them. The tradegy of Shiganshina was a heavy loss for humankind. After searching for survivors we found that three children have gone missing- Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlet. If you see these kids we urge you to contact the Earth Kingdom Forces.” The article went on about Shiganshina and the Titans but Eren did not need to read a newspaper article to feel the horrors. He placed it back down on the coffee table and gazed out of the windows in the room. Trost was truly a large city. There were buildings everywhere. Everyone was outside walking, some with groceries and some just strolling with children. He watched as a mother and her two kids walked back to their home with groceries in hand. Eren smiled at the family and shook his head. He would give anything to be those kids again. 

“Eren! You are finally awake!” His petite friend ran over along with Mikasa and three men he did not know. He figured they were Petra’s comrades who shared the apartment. “How are you? Even Petra said she didn’t know what was wrong.” Armin worriedly looked over Eren. “Are you hurt at all?”

Eren shook his head and answered, ”I’m fine just a little disoriented. Who are they?” He jerked his head at the men standing by the door. The men came forward and introduced themselves.   
The tallest one with blonde hair pulled back into a folded pony-tail and brown eyes stepped forward. “My name is Eld Jinn. I’m an airbender and part of the Survey Corps. Nice to meet you Eren.” He shook Eren’s had firmly and stepped aside. The next man had closely cropped brown hair with a point in the back and brown eyes. 

“My name is Gunther Schultz and I’m a firebender who is also part of the Survey Corps. Just be sure to keep the house clean and to stay out of my room and we will get along just fine.” He offered a curt nod and moved next to Eld. He kept his eyes focused outside, as if he was thinking particularly hard about something. 

The last man was slightly shorter than the others with dirty blonde hair, fashioned in a type of undercut. He smirked as he began to speak, as if he was worlds above Eren. “My name is Oluo Bozado and I’m an earthbender that works for the Survey Corps. I want this house to be sparkling clean every day. Dinner is precisely at 6:00 and I will not tolerate any tardiness. If you have to take a shit, use the basement bathroom so we do not have to smell it.” He opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted by Petra’s voice. 

“Shut up Oluo. You’re not Levi and never will be. You will only be another stupid imitator. Could one if you guys give me a hand please?” Petra struggled into view, submerged under a mountain of food. Eren’s stomach grumbled loudly so he pressed his hand into his gut to try and calm it. Gunther stood up and mumbled that he would help Petra. Then he turned on his heel and went to the kitchen. Eld and Oluo both went and sat down across from Armin, Mikasa, and Eren. 

The silence starched on for about a minute before Eld cleared his throat and spoke up. “Sorry about Gunther. He’s just a little upset right now. You see our squad leader, Levi Ackerman in case you heard of him,” Mikasa raised an eyebrow at hearing Levi’s last name but let Eld continue. “He just went on a mission with Erwin Smith and Hanji Zoe to Ba Sing Se and he didn’t tell us that we weren’t coming along with him as usual. I guess he is just ticked that we didn’t go.” He glanced at the kitchen and saw Petra and Gunther preparing a fire on the stove. “I guess lunch will be in about thirty minutes. What do you want to do until then? I could show you to your rooms?”

Eren piped up. “Actually could you tell me more about the Survey Corps? I have heard of them but I don’t really remember what they do.” 

Eld gave Eren a smile and leaned back into the couch he sat on so comfortably. “Well what you heard about the Survey Corps was probably wrong. Everyone thinks that we just show up in places and suddenly join together to kick Titan ass if they show up. That really is not our job though. We maintain the peace throughout the world. We travel throughout the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, the Air Nation, and the Fire Nation to keep the peace but most importantly, to find the Avatar. We believe that the Avatar should be about seventeen years old now but we just can’t find any reports of anyone reporting the Avatar. The previous Avatar died in battle but they were from the Water Tribe. Therefore the next one should be from the Earth Kingdom. That’s why Levi, Erwin, and Hanji went to Ba Sing Se, to find the Avatar so we can help train them. If a Titan attacks where we are stationed we must fight them with our lives and try to save as many people as we can…even if it costs our lives.” 

Eren looked at Eld as if someone had slapped him. His eyes darted to his hands and then back to Eld. He quickly regained his composure and gave a shaky smile and nod. Mikasa took the opportunity to speak. “Do you serve the Avatar or something?”

“We protect them and keep them alive at any cost. They are the world’s last hope against the Titans since they can bend all the elements at once. When in the Avatar State, they can take down multiple Titans at once. The Avatar is our ace in the hole, hence why we have been searching for the past seventeen years. To answer your question though, no we do not serve the Avatar.” 

Eren spoke. “If you guys fight Titans, does that mean are you masters in your elements? Could you train us while we wait to see Erwin?” Eren was getting excited at the idea of a new master. They could teach him a lot more than his mother had and Armin could finally learn to airbend. 

“I suppose we could. Let’s start tomorrow so you can get some rest tonight.” Eld glanced at the kitchen again. “I think lunch is ready.” He stood up and offered a hand to the new housemates. Eren accepted the hand and stood up, fighting the dizziness that overtook his eyes. 

They walked off to the kitchen, ready to devour Petra’s dish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 7 tomorrow! Thanks for reading and for leaving kudos! Hit me up on tumblr: www.chibinico.tumblr.com


	7. First of Many

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of cute Armin love in this chapter!

Armin woke up to light filtering through the windows. His room was shared with Eren in the basement but the window was high enough that light could still come in. Mikasa would be sleeping with Petra and the others would not have to change from their own rooms. As Armin sat up groggily, he looked at Eren. He had insisted on sleeping on his bed of earth without a blanket, but Mikasa put a blanket over him once he was snoring. Now that his friend was sleeping, he could see truly how stressed Eren had been now that his face was relaxed. Eren snored softly so Armin knew he was still deep in sleep. He glanced at the clock and its hands read 7:30 in the morning. Their lessons in earthbending, firebending, and airbending would not start until 9:00. 

Armin looked at Eren again, debating if he should wake him up. He was worried about Eren, especially since he had not been doing well the last couple of days. Yesterday, when Eld was talking about the Survey Corps and what they did, he saw that Eren was noticeably shaken. He did not have enough information to make any assumptions but he got a bad feeling about the whole encounter. He decided to let Eren sleep and he gracefully slid out of bed to freshen up. He thought about having breakfast with Mikasa if she was awake. He brushed his teeth and slipped on some of the new clothes Petra took the liberty to buy for them after lunch the day before. She did not know how they liked to dress so she bought traditional clothes based on their elements. Armin put on his new brown pants and then his boots. He had knee high, brownish-red boots similar to Petra’s shoes, tightly fit and suited for running quickly across slick surfaces. He was about to put on his long sleeved beige shirt when he realized that still had another layer of pants to put on. He sighed to himself and grudgingly pulled off his boots to slip into the beige baggy outer layer. He then put on his long sleeved beige shirt and loose orange shawl. The shawl connected just before the elbow with a small tie. He bent down to tie an orange cloth around his waist that acted for a belt and then to put on his boots once again. He liked the outfit but was probably going to customize it later. 

Done with dressing, he glanced at his reflection. His usual brilliant blue eyes were a bit muted and his bedhead was laughable. He found a comb at the bottom of a drawer and tried to run it through his hair. Some teeth snapped but after some persistence, Armin had his hair neatly combed and manageable. As he was turning to leave the room, he glanced at the time. It was almost 8:00 so he decided to wake up Eren. Eren would take forever to get dressed sometimes so he thought an hour of time would be ample. Armin walked over to Eren’s bed of earth and gently shook him awake. 

“Eren get up. It’s almost eight. Class is at nine, remember? You need to get ready.” Eren sat up and gave Armin his fiercest glare. Armin almost apologized on the spot for waking him up but then Eren dropped the glare and smiled while rubbing his eyes. He nodded his head tiredly and thanked Armin for waking him. “I’m going to eat with Mikasa if she is awake. See you later.” Armin left the room while Eren was stretching and headed to the kitchen. He saw Mikasa sitting, eating a bowl of red nuts with mango. It seemed to remind her of her old home due of the smile on her face each time she ate them together. She was wearing a short sleeved red V-neck shirt and simple brown pants. Hers were slightly less baggy than Armin’s but she too wore tight fitting, knee high black boots with a red stripe on the side. Armin figured that the style in Trost was tight, high boots.

“Good morning, Armin,” Mikasa said. “Is Eren awake?”

“Just woke him up before I came up here. Is there anything else to eat?”

Mikasa pointed to a door with her chin. “They have snacks and food from all over the nations. I found lychee nuts and I haven’t had these since my parents would get these from fire nation markets. Maybe they will have some traditional food for the airbenders? I saw some moon peaches in a basket.” 

“Moon peaches?” Armin sped over to the door Mikasa pointed at. Opening the door, he found a basket filled with moon peaches just like Mikasa said. He loved moon peaches but restrained himself to eating just one for now. He took a bite of his favorite fruit and sighed happily. The bittersweet flavor was one he would never forget. Whenever merchants from deeper in the Earth Kingdom would come to trade with Shiganshina, they would bring moon peaches from the air temples. Even though it was just a small thing, Armin felt like it brought him closer to his parents each time he ate one. He turned to Mikasa and offered her one. She declined and finished her bowl of lychee nuts and mango. “I like your outfit by the way,” Armin offered.

Mikasa smiled. “Thanks. I like yours as well. Petra got this for me yesterday. I really like her.” 

Armin nodded. “I like her too. She only met us about a week ago but she did not hesitate to take us in. And her comrades are great too. The way Eld described the Survey Corps, I really thought joining them. Can you imagine working with the Avatar? I doubt they would be much different than us but still, it seems cool.” 

The basement door opened and they paused their conversation. Eren came out and walked over to them. He wore a simple dark green and white outfit: white pants that came to his knees and a long, short sleeved, dark green tunic over a white tee with no sleeves. Before Eren even opened his mouth, Mikasa pointed to the pantry door, giving him the same information she told Armin. As Eren looked around the pantry, Armin finished his moon peach and decided to go outside. Eren, who finally decided on eating a large piece of bread with a moon peach, and Mikasa unquestionably joined him. They sat on the stoop in front of the front door, in a comfortable silence, except for the sound of Eren chewing his food. Once he finished, Eren struck up a conversation. 

“Who would have thought we would be in Trost?” He chuckled and continued. “I never thought I was going to leave Shiganshina until at least another four years. And now here we are; we may even meet the leader of the Survey Corps when he returns.” 

“It would have been better if Shiganshina hadn't been destroyed though,” Armin interjected. 

Eren gave Armin a look that clearly said “What the fuck, man?” and sighed. “I was trying to stay positive. But if we are going to be here for at least a month, what are we going to be doing? We need a source of money.”

Armin spoke again. “We could do underground fights? Or do the trade for Petra. It’s up to them really, if they even want us doing a jobs.”

The door behind them opened and they all jumped. Light laughter filled the air and they turned to see Petra, dressed in variations of gray and blue, smiling at them. “Do you want anything to eat? And Eld, Gunther, and Oluo will be ready soon.”

Mikasa answered. “No thank you, we had some moon peaches and lychee nuts earlier. While we are here, do you want us to do anything?”

Petra looked shocked. “No of course not. Just train and learn your element; it could save your life if you ever find yourselves in danger. Between the four of us, we can handle working. You guys don’t need to worry, alright?” Behind her, Oluo had come into the kitchen followed by Eld and Gunther. They all seemed in a good enough mood and ready to teach their newest students. Gunther dropped a plate he was carrying and it broke, causing Petra to dart around and Oluo to begin to scolding. Petra mumbled something about them being idiots under her breath and walked away from the trio. 

-X-

It was now 9:00 and Mikasa and Eren left Armin to go and train with their new instructors. Armin tried not to look too intimidated when Eld came over to him in the front yard.   
“You are an airbender right Armin?” Eld asked. Armin nodded his head. “You just need a master?” Armin nodded again. “I can teach you but a lot of this is going to be learning on your own and practicing as often as you can. Before I can teach you, I need to know what you can do so just do a couple of air techniques. They can be as simple as creating a gust of wind or as elaborate as creating a tornado.” 

“Um, I can’t really do anything big except for one technique Petra showed me. So…yeah. Here goes nothing,” Armin squeaked. He took his stance of feet slightly apart, hands in front of his chest. He slashed his hands and the air became a sharp cutting blade and cut through a rock. Eld hummed approval towards Armin and beckoned for him to continue. Next, Armin crouched to the ground, raised his hand, and flexed it over the ground. A sphere of air began to swirl, levitating three small blades of grass. The sphere flickered out and the blades of grass fell to the ground once again. Armin stood up and faced Eld. “That’s it. I really can’t do much more.” 

“Okay then. First off you should know that you have enormous potential. You also should know that the move that Petra taught you is for masters. The fact that you could even attempt to do it is astounding considering how you really can’t do anything else. The move that I am going to show you is a simple one: how to move air to your will. It’s rather easy and once you master that, airbending will be whatever you want it to be. I will show you master level techniques after that so you can learn some defense. Get into your stance for regular bending.” 

Armin stood with his feet slightly apart and hands were out in front of his chest, palms up. “Good,” Eld said. “Now I want you to feel the air- not as a feeling on your skin but as an extension of yourself. Feel the air as if it is one with your body. When you can do that, when you can feel the air as if it is just another arm or leg, then you can make it anything you want.”

Armin closed his eyes and sent out his senses. He could feel the soft breeze on his face and the tingle of his skin in his arms but he could not feel the air. He opened his eyes and looked at Eld. “About how long did it take for you to feel the air?”

“It took me a three days in training but I lacked the potential you have. You can do this Armin. Just be patient and try it again.” Eld gave Armin a small smile and nodded his head. Armin closed his eyes once more and concentrated on feeling the air. He let his mind go adrift and thought about whatever crossed his mind. His first thought was the air temples. He thought about how he wanted to see them just like his parents. He wanted to be able to do the amazing tricks his mother would do when he was young. It was gradual but he definitely felt like his body was expanding. He felt light and loose, as if invisible strings that held him down were cut and he was free. Armin opened his eyes to see that he was indeed airbending. His clothes rippled and his hair blew in every direction as air circulated around him. He grinned and looked at Eld who gave him a sincere smile and nod. 

“How do I stop?” 

“Just visualize it. The air bends to your will. While you visualize, lower your hands with the palms facing down.” Armin mimicked Eld’s instructions and the circle of air around him came to a stop. Armin bowed and placed his right hand on the side of his left hand, which was in a fist. Eld chuckled and did the same to Armin. 

“Alright, so how about those airbending moves?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like I was making Armin a third wheel a lot so I wrote this chapter to give a little deeper insight into Armin's world. Thanks for all the hits and kudos, they make me so happy! Chapter 8 will come next weekend and just as a sneak preview of the upcoming chapters, they will NOT have any sad angst. (for the most part at least) Hit me up on tumblr at: www.chibinico.tumblr.com


	8. A Bump in the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two repetitive weeks go by smoothly. On the two week anniversary of their stay, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin have a fight with their hosts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a longer chapter but we are soon approaching monster chapters! As for this being my NaNoWriMo, no way in hell that the story will close out at 50K so I will still submit it but I will keep on writing after reaching 50K. This story may be around 80K words or more. Not quite sure yet. But enjoy the chapter and leave your thoughts!

Between Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, a simple routine became established for two weeks without any interruption. Each weekday morning they would wake up at 7:30, get ready for the day, and have breakfast together. Breakfast usually consisted of moon peaches, mangos, and lychee nuts but sometimes if Petra was up, she would make them scrambled eggs with bits of blubbered seal jerky. Mikasa would gladly eat the jerky, a traditional water tribe snack, but Eren and Armin always refused. Armin refused because he was a vegetarian and Eren simply could not stand the flavor. After breakfast at 9:00, they would go outside to their respective spots to train with Eld, Gunther, and Oluo. They were all improving with their elements save for Mikasa who had surpassed Gunther and only received pointers from him with proper breathing techniques. Armin was now able to do a variety of different airbending moves and neared the intermediate level after only two weeks. Eren was learning how to feel his opponent’s movements in the ground and how to fight against their movements rather than their positions. 

Training would last until lunch which was at 12:00 to 12:30 on most days. After lunch, the trio would help around the house, doing whatever was needed to be done, while the others went to their regular jobs. If an errand needed running, one of the three would go do it. Most days it simply consisted of cleaning and neatening the furniture. After they were done cleaning the house, they would usually hang around outside talking or practicing what they learned earlier in the day. By 5:00, Petra would call them in for dinner and they would be in bed by 10:00. Two weeks after they first arrived however, the schedule was interrupted by a day long Survey Corps meeting. That night at dinner Eld began a particularly grim conversation. 

“Eren, Mikasa, Armin. We need to tell you something.” Gunther shot Eld a look that clearly said `Shut the hell up.’

“Eld I don’t think we should,” Petra faltered after Eld sent them all a cold glare.

“They could be involved with this unintentionally and not to mention us telling them directly is better than them hearing rumors.” Petra lowered her eyes and sighed while waving her hand for him to continue. Eld faced the three again. “We received word from Erwin today. Originally they were going to come back to Trost but he suspects they may have just found the Avatar so they will not return just yet. Luckily, he also said that their mission should not take any longer than three more weeks. If the person they think is the Avatar really is the Avatar they will not come back to Trost. If the person is not the Avatar they will return to Trost at the end of those three weeks. We can try to tell you where to find them in case it is the Avatar but we cannot leave Trost.” At these words, all three young adults gasped. “It is our orders from Erwin to stay in Trost should anything happen unless we have orders from him or Levi to move out. Our first priorities are to help evacuate everyone from Trost if the Titans were to attack. Until then, we must stay here.”

Eren placed his fork down onto the table with a little more force than necessary and leaned forward. “We can stay too. Let us help you if that were to happen.” 

Petra immediately spoke up. “No. We may be your masters but you are still civilians and not official members of the Survey Corps. We cannot let you fight.” Eren stared at Petra, determined green-teal eyes meeting fierce amber ones. A tense silence followed the small argument.

Armin broke the silence. “That’s not all is it? Something really bad is happening outside of Trost and you guys are worried. Am I right?” He moved his eyes to each person at the table. 

Oluo answered him. “On the dot Armin. Something bad is happening outside of Trost but we did not want to concern you guys but obviously you will probably just stick your noses in anyway and try to find   
out. It’s the Titans. They have been attacking more frequently and in larger groups than just five to ten. They’ve been coming in groups of twenty or more.” Eren gulped and widened his eyes. Mikasa gripped her knife tightly in her hand, slowly driving it into the wooden table. “Ah now you see our problem. We can’t afford to leave Trost in fear that it may be attacked and because with twenty or more Titans for one city, many more people will die. The city doesn’t even have proper defenses to withstand an attack. It is a grim fact but we have to face it.” 

“What places have been attacked lately?” Mikasa asked. 

“Gaoling in the South, Tu Zin in the East, Stohess in the North, and several little towns in-between,” Gunther grunted. 

“They overran Stohess?” Eren exclaimed.

“Yes they did,” Oluo said without a trace of humor. He gritted his teeth and continued. “They attacked the three major cities North, South, and East of us. We are the last major city in the West close to their proximity. Not before long, the Titans will reach us. We need to be here when that happens. Hopefully we still have another four weeks.” 

“What do you mean by ‘have another four weeks’?” Mikasa asked. “Not another four weeks to live right? You are going to live, right?”

“It’s not like we’re planning on dying on the battlefield,” Gunther shouted. “We certainly do not want to die but who knows how many Titans are going to be here? We have reinforcements throughout the city but it is always a possibly when dealing with Titans!”

“Why,” Eren choked out. He forced the prickly feeling in his eyes to go away; he was not going to cry in front of them. He did not have a reason to. “Why would openly choose this? If you knew you could die, why live your lives like this? 

Petra answered Eren’s question softly, trying to calm everyone down. “We all joined fully aware of what might happen to us. We know that everyday could be our last but that is not the point of the Survey Corps. The point is to help restore peace and to bring and protect the Avatar to help restore that peace. These Titans, they are ruthless but we humans, we can overcome them. The Survey Corps helps with that. We help to create a world free of these damn Titans and if I or anyone else in the Survey Corps did not want that, we would not be here. It’s our resolve to do this. We don’t want to die but we know if we do, we tried to help restore the world. That is why we are here and that is why we will not leave Trost.” 

The tension in the room slowly evaporated at Petra’s message. Eren spoke up, his voice strong as steel. “I will join the Survey Corps when I see meet Erwin Smith. I want to help kill the Titans and restore peace to our world.” Eren stood up from the table and his chair clattered to the floor behind him. “The Avatar is our last hope and I want to be there to help them realize that.” Eren could feel his eyes beginning to prickle again and he stormed away from the table to go outside and cool down. 

“Mikasa, will he be alright?” Petra asked. 

“He just got over passionate. I’m sure he’ll be back before we even finish eating dinner. But I want to tell you this: he is serious about joining the Survey Corps and I will too. I will not let him go into this alone.” 

“I will too,” Armin said confidently. “If Eren and Mikasa are going, I want to help them anyway I can.”

“You guys are serious about this aren’t you?” Eld asked. They nodded in unison. “We might as well train you then.” Both Mikasa and Armin gave him quizzical looks. “In combat. You are going to learn combat   
training when you join up but the more knowledge you have on it now, the better. This means that lessons will be much harder but if you are determined, you can do it.” 

Mikasa stood from the table and bowed to them. “Thank you for understanding. If you do not mind, I am going to get Eren so he can finish his dinner.” She left the table and opened the front door. Eren was sitting on the stoop with his knees drawn up under his chin. She closed the door and sat down next to him. Eren wiped his face with his hand and cleared his throat. 

“Should I come back in now?” Mikasa hummed in approval.

“Armin and I are behind you, you know. We are going to join the Survey Corps with you. We want to be there with you and help kill those damn Titans to return the world to its rightful state. Eld and the others are going to help us achieve that goal too. Tomorrow our training will be more for combat and a lot harder.” Mikasa turned her head to look at Eren. “You were crying.”

Eren laughed quietly. “Yea I was. I got really passionate and I lost myself. Sorry.” Mikasa joined him in laughing and lightly punched Eren on the arm. 

“Just go and finish your dinner. Apologize too; they only wanted to warn us.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” Mikasa stood up and offered Eren a hand. He shook his head and stood up on his own. He opened the door and walked through, thinking of what to say. Once he was at the table he turned and faced everyone at the table and bowed. “I’m sorry for throwing a fit like a child before. Please forgive me.” 

Petra stood up and walked over to Eren and gave him a hug. “Eren its fine. We completely understand.” Eren smiled at Petra and walked over to his spot of the table and fixed his chair. He picked up his fork and began to eat again before pausing once more. “This is really good by the way Petra. I think I really like water tribe cuisine.” 

Petra laughed. “That’s good because I’m making five-flavored soup tomorrow with sea prunes and dumplings.” Oluo and Gunther both groaned loudly at this. “Do you have a problem with that,” Petra snapped. 

Oluo smirked and replied plainly, “That five-flavored soup is five flavors too many if you get my drift.” Gunther snickered at Oluo’s comment. 

“Fine! Cook your own dinner tomorrow and just see if I care because I won’t give two shits when you burn your food and have to eat nuts!” Petra stood from the table and went to wash her plate. 

“I would choose nuts over sea prunes,” Gunther said quietly to Oluo. Petra dropped her plate in the foamy dishwater and clenched a fist. The water in the sink moved to her will, becoming a thick strand. She playfully hit Gunther and Oluo on the back of the head with the water whip with enough force to make them complain. Eld stood and looked at the three troublemakers. 

“That’s enough Petra. As for you Oluo and Gunther, clean the table and wash the dishes tonight. Everyone else can be dismissed.” Oluo and Gunther began to complain but quickly got to work clearing the table after seeing Eld’s glare. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin crept of to the basement to talk. Once in their room, Eren sighed loudly. 

“What a dinner, huh?” Mikasa and Armin agreed with smiles and nods. “I hope you don’t mind Mikasa but I am going to get ready for bed while we talk.” Eren reached to his chest to unbutton his dark green tunic and messily fold it. He tossed the tunic on his earth bed soon to be followed by his white shirt and shoes. 

“What kind of combat training do you think we have to do tomorrow?” Armin asked. 

“Probably the basics but I’m guessing they will expect us to get the basics by the day after. Before my parents died, I was taught by a master who spent one day on basics and built on top of them. It was hard   
at first but I eventually got it so that’s what I’m guessing they are going to do with us,” Mikasa answered. 

Eren replied to Mikasa’s comment but his answer was muffled, as he was trying to put on his old comfortable long-sleeved green shirt. Finally he shoved his head through and his hair was stuck in every direction. “Did you hear me?” They shook their heads. ”I said I hope they make us duel each other. I wonder who would win.” 

Mikasa smirked and responded. “Don’t worry Eren, I’ll go easy on you so you will stand a chance.”

Armin joined in on boasts. “Excuse me but everyone knows that air beats fire and earth. I can extinguish your flames Mikasa and I can blow off course any attack you throw at me Eren. Not to mention I am remarkably faster than you both.” Armin stood and began to undress as well. He tugged off his orange shawl and beige undershirt. Placing them neatly folded on his bed, he pulled on his old blue robe and took off his shoes. 

“I can’t believe you guys still have those. Have you even cleaned them?” Eren and Armin exchanged glances and smiled apologetically at Mikasa. “You are disgusting. It has been over a month since we left Shiganshina. We wore the same clothes for over a week and you still have not washed them? Give them to me.”

“Mikasa stop. They aren’t even that bad-“Eren faltered when he saw Mikasa’s face. He grumbled but pulled off his shirt and took the pants he was going to put on and placed them in Mikasa’s outstretched hand. Armin did the same with his own clothes. 

“I am going to wash these right now so good night.” Eren and Armin both said good night and thank you for washing their clothes. Then, Mikasa turned and left their room. Armin collapsed on his bed and groaned. 

“I am too tired to deal with this right now. Good night Eren.” Armin crawled under his blanket, still wearing his pants and belt but before Eren could tell him soft snores filled the room. 

“Good night Armin.” Eren climbed into his bed and closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9 tomorrow! You can find me and bug me at www.chibinico.tumblr.com (I really don't mind) Thanks for all the hits and kudos and comments! I love my readers!!


	9. Unexpected Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren, Armin, and Mikasa go into town to buy some things and come across a pair of teenagers just like them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a headcanon that Eren is not a morning person and gets very irritable when he first wakes up.  
> I am on a break right now so possible updates throughout the week. I should warn you though, shit will go down relatively soon.  
> We are also getting into the longer chapters with this one almost being 3K! Enjoy and leave your thoughts!

Eren woke to the sun’s rays in his eyes. He groaned and glared at the offending window. At the end of his bed were the clothes Mikasa had laundered the night before. He sat up and looked around. Armin was not in the room so he assumed he had already gone upstairs to eat breakfast. Eren got out of bed and hurriedly got ready for the day. He quickly jumped into his regular outfit and put his shoes on while running upstairs. He burst through the basement door into the kitchen where he saw Mikasa and Armin look baffled by his sudden appearance. 

“Are you alright Eren,” Mikasa asked. 

“Yeah I’m fine. I just thought I was late for the lessons this morning. How do I look?”

“Honestly,” Armin began. “You look like you just spent hours carefully making a masterpiece and then you realized you painted the wrong thing so-“

Eren cut Armin off. “Can you say that with a little less words please? It’s still early.”

Armin laughed at Eren’s irritability. “You look like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Your hair is an absolute mess so run your hand through it or something. Fix your tunic too; it is lopsided.” Eren followed Armin’s instructions and moved to the pantry to eat. He gathered a cup full of lychee nuts and a moon peach. They were beginning to run low again. 

“After lunch, let’s head out and buy some more moon peaches. We are going to run out in about two days I think.” He took a fairly large bite out of his moon peach and savored the flavor. Eren glanced at the clock and saw that it read 8:57. He quickly shoveled down the rest of his moon peach and placed his cup of lychee nuts in the pantry to eat later. He wiped his hands on a cloth on the counter and ran out the back door, saying a quick goodbye to Mikasa and Armin. Oluo preferred training in open spaces and claimed that the backyard was not large enough. He quickly ran to the local earthbending school, where he had his lessons, and faced Oluo. Luckily, he was not a second late.

“Okay Eren, get ready. I am going to try and attack you and you will sense my movements and avoid my attacks. The main focus of the drill is to avoid confrontation. That means you will not be earthbending at me. Wait, take off your belt and wrap it tightly over your eyes. No peeking. Now you really have to focus to sense my movements. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Eren closed his eyes behind the blindfold to better concentrate. He felt a slight vibration in front of him and he figured it was Oluo moving positions. He perked his ears up to better hear the rustling of the wind, giving Oluo’s approximate location. Locking on to his target, Eren began circling in his defensive stance. Oluo stomped at the ground and raised two large boulders and threw each at Eren. Eren felt the vibrations and the rustle of the air and turned to his left, successfully avoiding the two boulders. Oluo raised three more and hurled them at Eren. Eren felt the rustle of the again and turned vertically, squeezing between two boulders and jumped to his right, avoiding the last boulder. 

“Good Eren. Now I want you to keep the blindfold on but you can use earthbending. Here we go.” Oluo launched another wave of rocks at Eren but this time Eren waited and listened to the earth. He created an  
earth tent and placed his hand on the ground, feeling for vibrations. The boulders hit his tent but it held strong. “Let’s see you top this one Eren!” Eren could feel Oluo raising a block of earth that his tent could not overcome. He came out from behind his tent and kicked at the ground. A series of earth columns erupted from the ground and knocked Oluo over, dropping the enormous boulder next to him. “Good job Eren,” Oluo wheezed as he struggled to get up. “You can take the blindfold off now. Earthbend with your other senses not just your vision, alright?” Eren reached up and undid his blindfold. He blinked a couple of times to adjust his eyes. Upon seeing Oluo, Eren got into his defensive stance and began to circle his new master. He waited for Oluo to attack and smirked, prompting him to hurry up his move. Oluo stopped moving and launched a series of attacks at Eren. Eren blinked and avoided the bulk of the attack but was knocked to the ground by a rock fist. Eren quickly scrambled up and regained his fighting stance, and bending earth hands of his own, making them grab at Oluo’s hands. His master only smirked and thrust his hand out at each incoming rock and they exploded. Eren gawked at his master. Oluo smirked and curled his outstretched hand into a fist and Eren sank into the earth up to his elbows. He fidgeted but was planted firmly in place.

“I admit defeat,” he said reluctantly. Oluo opened his fist and Eren popped out of the ground. Oluo walked up to him, annoyance etched onto his face.

“You have been improving on everything I teach you except for this. You really need to get the hang of sensing your opponent during a battle, even when you can see them. That is what makes a great earthbender. I would call you up to the level of mastered but you lack that crucial skill. Eld, Gunther, and I were thinking of having you, Armin, and Mikasa duel us together as teams but in order for that to happen, you really have to improve on this. Alright?” Eren nodded his head miserably. Seeing his student’s anguish, Oluo softened his tone of voice a little. “I know it is hard to make such a huge change in only a few days but if you practice seriously tonight for at least two hours with Mikasa or Armin, it will be much easier when I spar with you here.” Oluo placed his hand on Eren’s back and hoisted him up. “Class over. I have some business to attend to.”

“Thank you sir,” Eren said monotonously and bowed. He walked back home to find Mikasa and Armin sparing outside. Armin had drastically improved his airbending and kept Mikasa on her feet while Mikasa had improved on her precision and her flames were turning colors from red and orange to a deadly blue. He ran up to them and sunk them both into the ground. They both yelped in surprise and turned to face Eren with a glare from the ground. “Hey guys,” Eren said cheekily. 

“Get us out of the ground now.” Mikasa’s voice was bordering pissed so Eren did not try to drag his prank on long. He lifted his hand and raised them both from the ground. “Our lessons finished early and Armin and I needed to go into town but we decided to wait for you and see of your lesson finished early too. Do you want to come with us?”

“Sure! We can get more moon peaches and lychee nuts while we are out.” 

Armin spoke up. “Eld says that I should get a glider-staff while we are out. It’ll be just like the one that I lost in Shiganshina. You guys want to help me pick it out?” Eren and Mikasa both nodded and Mikasa stood to gather the money Petra gave her earlier. Once she returned, they departed for town.

-X-

Trost had many shady places and corners and unfortunately, most of the markets they ate food from where stationed right above these places or in front of shady corners. Eren walked in the front with the money in hand to the market stand that sold lychee nuts with Armin and Mikasa behind him, watching for muggers. He managed to haggle a good deal with a pound of lychee nuts for only four silver pieces. After buying the lychee nuts, Eren moved two stands over to the moon peach and papaya stand. He bought a basketful of moon peaches for only five silver pieces but quickly left the stand after being purred at by the cashier. They began to walk to a shop that sold gliders and staffs for Armin when Mikasa spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence.

“Let me carry the lychee nuts Eren. Between the moon peaches, lychee nuts, and money, you are bound to drop one.” 

“I can handle it Mikasa.” 

“Your ears are red. You’re lying Eren.” 

“No I am not.” At the precise moment, Eren stumbled and dropped two moon peaches from the basket. They hit the ground and rolled away, one into the gutter and the other into an alley. Mikasa looked at Eren for a few moments before taking the lychee nuts from him and giving him a gentle slap at the back of his head. 

They were about to walk into the glider shop but then a boy with a shaved head and a girl with long brown bangs and the rest tied up in a ponytail, stopped them and grabbed their moon peaches and lychee nuts. As fast as they came, the two teenagers sprinted down the alley way and turned to their left. Without a second thought, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin ran after them while demanding that the two stop and return their stuff. Armin used his airbending and caught up to them quickly, soon to be followed by Eren and Mikasa. The two kids ran around a stack of crates and knocked them down to slow their pursuers. Mikasa and Armin jumped over the crates but Eren tripped and landed face first. Mikasa stopped to help Eren but he waved her off and urged her to go after the kids. The two thieves led the three down many passages and turns until Mikasa stopped again and lifted her hands. Suddenly a wall of fire grew from the ground, surrounding the teens and making them stop. 

“What,” Eren wheezed, winded from the long sprint. “The fuck…do you think… you are doing… with our food?” The boy looked to the girl, his face contorted in anger. She gave him a warning look and shook her head. Then she placed the lychee nuts down and raised her hands, then nudged at her companion to do the same. 

“Please don’t hurt us. We did not mean to cause any trouble. We can probably help you get something in return for sparing us. My name is Sasha Blouse he is Connie Springer.” The girl named Sasha rushed through her words clearly worried about what might happen if she did not explain. After seeing Mikasa’s glare, Eren almost felt bad for Sasha. 

“Bullshit,” Mikasa spat. “If you weren’t looking for trouble why the hell would you jump us and not try to give back our stuff after you saw we were chasing you? Get your story straight.” Armin tried to calm Mikasa by placing his hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off and took an intimidating step towards Sasha and Connie.

“Hey don’t talk to Sasha like that!” The boy named Connie sprung forward in front of Sasha with his hands spread, trying to protect her. “We got here from crossing the Rose Desert because our villages were attacked by Titans a week ago and we were just looking for food!” A bead of sweat trickled down from his temple and he swallowed loudly. Mikasa widened her eyes and dropped her hands, extinguishing the fire. Eren stepped toward Sasha and Connie and looked them in the eyes, his own shining intensely.

“You must have seen hell,” he whispered. Sasha and Connie nodded their heads nervously. 

“What’s it to you anyway? We gave you back your food,” Connie replied.

“Our own village, Shiganshina, was also attacked by Titans. We get it so you can keep the lychee nuts but we have to take back the moon peaches. Where do you guys live; are you alone?” Eren asked. 

Sasha swatted Connie’s hands away and spoke up. “It’s been us two living with a friend of ours who already lived in Trost. Her name is Mina Carolina and she said she worked at some glider shop around here. If you are looking for a glider, I think we could discount the price for you, in return for the lychee nuts.”

“Well if you are living with a working person, I don’t think you really need our food,” Armin pointed out. He promptly pulled his arm back and the lychee nuts and moon peaches flew into Mikasa’s waiting arms. Sasha groaned, reached into her jacket pocket, and pulled out a potato. She mumbled about saving it for later, split it in half, half for herself and half for Connie, and took a large bite. “Wait a minute!” Armin cried. “The person you live with do you mean she works at the glider shop where you robbed us? I was going to get a glider there. Do you really think you could help?”

“Positive,” Connie claimed with smirk. “It will be a piece of cake. If you follow us, we can show you a shorter way to the shop from here.” Armin nodded graciously and the trio followed Sasha and Connie up a stairwell and through a network of alleys until they walked out the same alley they dashed into earlier to chase them. The glider shop was empty save for one employee with black hair divided into two ponytails, staring disinterestedly at a stand of gliders. She smiled when she saw Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and her new roommates. 

“Hi, is there anything I can help you with?” 

Armin walked to the front of the group and replied to her. “I’m looking for a new staff-glider but I want it to look like the ones from the air temples. Do you have anything like that?”

“We have look-alikes but they won’t last you long truthfully. I recommend getting one of these.” She gestured to a stand of closed gliders and Armin went to pick one up. He spun it in his hand and the wings shot open to reveal sturdy blue cloth. Armin hummed in approval and spun the glider again. The wings collapsed on itself once again and Armin nodded his head. 

“How much is it?” Armin kept twirling the glider in his hands, obviously set on it. 

Mina smiled and looked at him. “Fifty gold pieces please.” Armin’s eyes bulged out of his head and he nearly dropped the expensive piece of craftsmanship. Connie and Sasha crept back behind Mikasa, grinning sheepishly. 

“Can we have a discount? How about thirty gold pieces?” 

“Well I’m not really supposed to give discounts out to anyone; I could lose my job. And I really can’t afford to do that with those two troublemakers I have to look after,” she said while pointing at the cowering  
Sasha and Connie.

Armin quickly thought of something to change her mind and began talking before fully realizing what he was saying. “Well were just mugged by these troublemakers so how about a lower price for our troubles?” He realized how rude he sounded a moment after the words were out but it was too late to take them back. Mina groaned and glared at Sasha and Connie. 

“Okay fine. Just don’t tell anyone. You can have it for twenty-five gold pieces, a quarter off for each of the idiots crouching behind your friends.” Armin happily paid her thirty gold pieces, five extra pieces as a  
tip, and went back to Eren and Mikasa who were waiting patiently by the door. They walked with Sasha and Connie, who kept apologizing and in Sasha’s case crying that food had betrayed her, back to their house. Eren told them they had to leave to help make lunch but that they should meet again sometime later. After aggressively nodding, they ran off back to the glider shop’s direction. Once they were out of hearing Eren spoke aloud. 

“I like them. They are definitely odd at times but it’s a good thing, you know?” He took the keys to the house out of his pocket and unlocked the front door. They strolled into the kitchen and were welcomed by Petra who was already cooking her infamous, only to Gunther and Oluo, five-flavored soup. She stirred her hand around the top of the pot, careful not to burn her hand. 

“It’s a good thing that you guys are home. What did you buy?” 

“We bought a pound of lychee nuts, a basket of moon peaches but Eren dropped a few, and Armin got a glider,” Mikasa replied. Petra turned to look at Armin’s glider. 

“That’s a good brand. You chose well,” Petra said as she turned back around to watch the boiling soup. Mikasa put the food into the pantry and went outside to practice her firebending. Eren and Armin soon joined them and the three ended up sparing all day until Petra called them in for dinner. 

As was expected, Oluo and Gunther complained loudly about the soup but were quickly hushed by Eld. Eren ate the bowl of soup entirely and even had seconds but Armin and Mikasa claimed they were full after each having only half a bowl. Petra smiled at them and nodded her head, understanding what they silently communicated. Tired from the day’s activities and full from dinner, Eren dragged his body downstairs to his bed and plopped down on the sheets. By the time Armin walked into the room, Eren was fast asleep and snoring. Armin laughed to himself and walked to his own bed. After slipping off his boots he curled and fell asleep almost just as fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 10 possibly might be out on Wednesday or on Friday. I'm definitely going to post it early this week because a lot of shit is about to go down and you should read it close together. If you have a day or preference, let me know either here or on my tumblr( www.chibinico.tumblr.com) and I'll see what I can do. Thanks for all the kudos and comments and just reading in general!


	10. The Fall of Trost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the beginning of the end for Trost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this a little earlier in the day but that didn't happen, sorry! As for this fic being my NaNoWriMo, I successfully reached 50K today! However as I said before, the story isn't anywhere close to being finished and I'm so happy for that. This chapter is a bit sad and there is blood in it so if you have triggers for blood, be careful! Try not to be pissed with me towards the end but if you are then that means I'm doing something right so leave your thoughts below! Also this is a monster chapter; it's nearly 3K! Enjoy the chapter!!

Three more weeks of idly spent time flew by before Eren knew it. Since meeting Sasha and Connie, they had come over to Eren’s house more than just a few times. Petra, Eld, Gunther, and Oluo accepted them with warm arms but they were all shocked at Sasha’s appetite. They grew to love Connie for his lame jokes and usually being the one to ask a question he had answered a sentence before. Both Sasha and Connie would be frequent guests for dinner to the point that it was strange if they were not there.

In their training lessons, the teachers dueled their ever learning students and much to everyone’s surprise, Eren, Armin, and Mikasa won. They were being horribly beaten by their teachers but Mikasa came up with a plan that tricked them into losing. Eren was impressed with how intricate her plan was but she was a prodigy after all. While practicing earthbending, Sasha and Connie came over and offered to help practice. As it turned out, Sasha was an earthbender and Connie an airbender and they both were very good benders. Sasha would help Eren learn to sense other opponents while fighting and Connie would show Armin better ways at using his airbending in regular situations. Everything was going well until one afternoon in late June when Gunther burst through the front door and yelled for everyone to come together. 

“What the hell happened, Gunther?” Oluo shouted angrily. 

“I went to check our mail and Erwin sent us a letter today! It was delivered on a messenger hawk so I recon it’s very important. Erwin absolutely hates sending messenger hawks.” By now everyone was downstairs around Gunther and ready to hear what Erwin wrote. Gunther led everyone to the dinner table and sat down. He opened the letter and began to read it aloud. 

“’Dear Petra, Oluo, Gunther, and Eld. You four must be ready anytime this week. I strongly suspect the Titans will attack soon. Plan accordingly to the White Lotus Defense Operation. Levi, Hanji, and I should be back this week; the person in Ba Sing Se was not the Avatar. As of today we are stopping for rest at a seaside town directly behind the Sina Mountain Range. It is the only town behind the mountains so you should not have a hard time finding us. If the Titans attack send any survivors here; we will stay here for the rest of the week in case they attack. Follow these orders precisely: If the Titans do not attack by the end of the week, send a letter via messenger hawk telling us to come. If Titans do attack, do not send a letter by the end of the week; this way we know not to come and wait for refugees. If anyone important is coming by, send them with the sign. Protect the people at all costs and if you perish in the line of duty, I thank you for your service. Erwin.’” Gunther looked up, face grim. 

“You missed something scribbled in the corner,” Eren said softly. 

“’You have orders to keep the people safe at all costs but stay safe and don’t make stupid choices. Those are my orders, Levi.’” 

“I’ll go ready the preparations,” Petra said and she dashed off into the basement. 

At that same moment, Eld tensed. He turned to Eren and the others and shouted, “GET TO THE BASEMENT NOW!” Eren, Mikasa, and Armin sprinted down the stairs as they heard a sickening groan and crash of the house above them. The force of the impact from the collapsing house sent them flying down the last ten steps. Mikasa managed to turn her landing into a roll and Armin slowed his fall by controlling the air underneath him. Eren was not as graceful or lucky unfortunately. He landed hard on his chest and heard a sharp crack. He let out a cry of pain and cradled his chest. Mikasa ran over to him in an instant and looked him over. 

“Eren are you okay?” She asked frantically. “What happened to your chest?”

Eren tried to take a deep breath but gasped in pain again, blinking rapidly as he tried to tell Mikasa what was wrong. “I…I…my ribs, I think…something is wrong,” he said with difficulty. Eren continued to pant and take shallow breaths. “I heard a crack when I landed. I may have broken a few or fractured them.” He darted his eyes around to get his surroundings. He took in the dark hallway, the door leading to his room, Mikasa above him, and the rubble from the ruined staircase. He did not see Armin however. “Where…where’s Armin?”

Mikasa took his hand and held him gently. “He went to find Petra and see if she was okay. I think the upper level of the house was destroyed. It must be the Titans.” At news of the possible Titan invasion, Eren tried to sit up and saw stars dancing in his vision. Mikasa tried to get Eren to lay still without pushing on his chest but he would not cooperate. “Eren, stay down,” she ordered. 

“We…we have to help somehow,” Eren panted. 

“No, they said not to interfere.”

“I’m not going to let them die because I could have helped and I didn’t. I’m not going to make the same mistake that I made when I left Mom in the house when I could have saved her!” Eren began to cough and take even shallower breaths. Mikasa drew her scarf around her neck tighter and glared at Eren. 

“I don’t give a damn about what you think right now. You could have broken or fractured ribs and you still have a death wish to go and help fight Titans in your condition.” She let go of his hand and backed away. “Try and stand up Eren. Go on and do it.” Eren tried to sit up again but once again was forced to lay back down on the ground. He tried once more but nearly passed out. “That’s what I thought. You obviously do have broken or fractured ribs and you can’t even sit up never mind standing. You can’t help them now.” Eren screamed in frustration despite the excruciating pain that shot throughout his body. He felt his cheeks wetting and he pressed a hand to his face. Streaks of tears rolled their way down his face and he let them continue to roll shamelessly. 

“Eren! Mikasa! Are you alright?” Mikasa turned her head to Petra’s voice. She was running with Armin to them, in one arm she carried five backpacks and her other hand she pressed to her head. Bright red blood trickled through her fingers and down her temple. Seeing their concerned faces, she waved them off impatiently. “Don’t worry about me, I can heal myself. What happened to you?”

“Eren fractured or broke some ribs. He can’t sit up,” Mikasa said quickly. 

“I can’t heal broken ribs in this amount of time but I can tell if your ribs are broken.” Petra lifted Eren’s shirt and examined his skin. “Mikasa, can you make some light please?” Mikasa opened her palm and let flames lick her hands, giving off light everywhere. Petra then bended water out of her water sack on her back and centered her hands over Eren’s bruised chest. The water began to glow a faint blue and spun around her hands. Eren winced but tried to relax under Petra’s murmured words of assurance. The water soon lost its glow and Petra spoke. “He has at least three broken ribs on his right side and two fractured ribs on his left side. This is going to be painful but healing naturally, it should take at least six weeks. You also need to try and breathe naturally; it’ll hurt but it’s the only way to get better right now. Listen to me now though, you need to leave the city. This house has a secret tunnel in the basement in case this were to happen. The tunnel should be in Eren and Armin’s room in the back of the closet. These,” she said gesturing to the backpacks, “are survival kits. Everything you should need is in here: food rations, maps, snacks, first aid kit, water, and the sign to show to Erwin or Levi or Hanji when you meet them.” She dug around the backpack until she pulled out a small round tile with a pair of overlapping wings, one blue and the other white. “This is the universal symbol of the Survey Corps. Show this to any member and they will recognize you immediately and try to aid you any way they can. Don’t lose it. I prepared five backpacks and five symbols for you three and for Sasha and Connie if they happen to find you.” Eren spoke up from his position in the floor.

“Mikasa, we have to find them. It’s the very least we can do. We can get them to join the Survey Corps with us.” Mikasa began to shake her head but Eren cut her off. “I can travel on Armin’s glider with him. That way I won’t hurt my ribs any more. But just so you know, I am going to find them with or without you.” Mikasa widened her eyes but narrowed them soon after seeing the fire of resolve in Eren’s eyes. She walked over and hoisted him up. Eren cried out at the sudden wave of new pain but hushed himself and bit his lip. Armin offered for Eren to use his staff as a walking stick and Eren graciously accepted.  
Petra took the lead in their tiny group. “Armin, you and Mikasa try to clear out the rubble in the staircase. I’m pretty sure fire and air can take it out easily. On three. One, two, THREE!” Mikasa and Armin both thrust their hands out, letting the air and fire combine into one force and remove the rubble. Now that the rubble was gone, light poured into the basement but it was a reddish tint. Armin opened his glider and balanced Eren on the top. He jumped up and the wind caught them, lifting them above the ruins of the house and onto the front yard. Petra and Mikasa soon followed them and stopped in their tracks. Eren had seen this sight before; it was something he wished to never see again. Mikasa let out a quiet growl and Petra grimaced. 

What lay before them was the large city of Trost, completely engulfed with Titans and flames. Civilians were running everywhere, desperately trying to leave the city unharmed with their children or morning losses in the street. Petra swore to herself and turned back to face Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. 

“This is worse than any report could have prepared us for. I assume Gunther, Oluo, and Eld already went to fight so I need to join them. Get Sasha and Connie then leave. Don’t worry about us, we’ll be fine with probably a bruise or a broken bone here or there.” She managed a smile and gave them a loose hug for Eren’s sake. Then Petra turned and ran into battle. Armin faced Eren and Mikasa.

“We need to find Sasha and Connie before this gets any worse,” he announced. “Eren, how’s your chest?”  
Eren tried not to wince in pain when he took a deep breath but he turned to his blonde friend. “I can run,” he lied. “Whatever Petra did must have healed my ribs to an extent.” Armin glanced at Mikasa and then back at Eren. “Really guys, I can do it.” Eren continued to lie behind his teeth and by the looks of Armin and Mikasa’s faces, he must have won them over. Shakily, Eren handed over Armin’s glider and began to run down the burning streets. He nearly stumbled when he ran the first few paces but he caught himself and pushed on harder. The pain in his chest was very pronounced and unbearable. Each breath he took made him want to pass out and let darkness overtake him. He winced and came to a stop in front of the glider shop ruins and looked to his left and right. Mikasa and Armin were there, looking for Sasha and Connie. Armin took in a deep breath and belted out their names. Unfortunately, his plan to get their attention backfired and two Titans turned to them instead. At the sight of the approaching Titans, Eren quickly overcame his pain and shouted at Mikasa and Armin to run. While they ran, Mikasa proposed a place to look for Sasha and Connie. 

“They may be at Mina’s place in case she was stuck or something. Remember when they took us to their house, the turn is right over there!” Mikasa took the lead and ran to the turn, gesturing for Eren and Armin to hurry up. Eren’s face was drenched in sweat but he pushed himself harder and tried to match Armin’s speed. The steady rhythm of the approaching Titan only made them run even harder. After what felt like forever they turned once more to a crumbled house. Sasha was yelling and crying, trying to pull Connie out of the wreckage. Connie’s head rolled limply while Sasha continued to yell and pull at him. Sasha turned upon sensing the approaching footsteps and shouted for help. Mikasa and Armin ran ahead while Eren jogged behind them, placing a hand on his injured ribs. 

“Connie’s stuck! I can feel the Titans getting closer but I can’t leave him! He got hit by a rock and passed out. Ican’tleavehimhereguys, notafterallofthisshit,” Sasha said frantically. She began to hyperventilate and Armin intervened. Gently placing a hand on Sasha’s shoulder, Armin spoke up.

“We aren’t going to leave you guys. We came here to get you because we found a way out. Eren and I can get him out just fine,” Armin assured her. Now Armin glanced at his Eren signaling them to get ready. Eren gave a half-hearted nod and wearily took his earthbending stance while Armin readied his glider. “On three Eren. One. Two.” Eren thrust his hands out and Armin raised his glider behind his head. “THREE!” Armin swung his glider down, releasing a large blast of wind that blew even the heaviest pieces of rubble off Connie. Eren raised his outstretched hands and earth pillars moved the heavy debris off Connie’s back. He slid out from underneath and rolled onto the ground with a soft thud. Sasha ran to him and slapped his face repeatedly. With a loud groan, Connie came around and weakly grabbed at Sasha’s hands.

“What the hell happened?” Connie grumbled as he sat up. When he got his bearings and looked around, his eyes lost their usual mischievous glint and he narrowed them. “Those damn Titans are attacking aren’t they? They killed Mina when the house fell, I remember all of it now.” He stood up and turned to Mikasa. “We need to leave now. There’s a Titan coming from the way you guys came in. I know another way out but we need to go.” As if on cue, the Titan Connie spoke of came into view. It had an eerie smile on its face as if it could not wait to kill you anyway it could. Connie and Armin ran towards the Titan and blasted it with enough air to make it fall. Mikasa picked Eren up and carried him, one arm under his legs and another under his neck, as loosely as she could without hurting him and ran behind Armin and Connie. Eren screwed his eyes shut from the enormous waves of pain radiating from his chest. He tried to call out to Mikasa but he was quickly sinking into his subconscious. Eren tried to fight the feeling of drifting in fear that he might never wake up but not even his fierce determination could help him. 

Finally Eren could not take the pain and he banged on Mikasa’s arms. “Let me down! It hurts too much!” Mikasa slowed down just enough to place Eren on his feet and then grabbed his hand and continued to run. Crowds of people still swarmed through the city, everyone still trying to escape the Titans. Above them a waterbender froze an arc of water and slid past. Eren looked up to see Petra in full armor battling an approaching Titan. She unfroze her water arc and thrust it through the Titan, extinguishing its fire and pushing it back several feet. The Titan contorted its face and shot a blast of fire at Petra. She dodged the fire and quickly sliced away at its knees and ankles. The Titans mist like black body fell and steam seeped out of its wounds. Petra turned and ran to see if she could help the evacuating people. But in order to do that, she had turned her back on the Titan that was healing itself and standing up again. Eren tried to project his voice so that she could hear his dire warning to move but it was too late. The Titan wrapped its black fingers around Petra’s body and lifted her up. Petra screamed and writhed, trying to free herself from the Titan’s grasp but to no avail. The Titan heated its hand while tightening its grip and Petra shrieked in agony. Eren could not turn away as he saw the person who saved him from the horrible ruins of Shiganshina get the life squeezed out of them. The sound of Petra’s screams were silenced and replaced by a loud crack. The lifeless body of Petra Ral was released and hit the ground with a thud, never again to move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 11 is out tomorrow! Leave your thoughts below and thanks for reading, the kudos, and the comments! Bother me on tumblr at: www.chibinico.tumblr.com  
> Btw I track this fic on tumblr under the tag: fic: My Bending Master


	11. The Tunnel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikasa and Eren meet back up with Armin, Sasha, and Connie. Together, they move on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh these past chapters have been posted so late!! Hahaha I'm sorry(not really) for ending that last chapter like that but I loved reading your reactions. This chapter is also a monster length of nearly 3K. Enjoy!!  
> There are a lot of mentions of blood and blood related injuries in this chapter so please be careful!!

As Petra’s broken and burned body fell to the ground, Eren yelled in horror. All the pain in his ribs diminished to a faint throb from his adrenaline rush. Mikasa turned to see what had caused Eren to stop moving and widened her eyes. She then glared at the Titan and reluctantly pulled at Eren’s hand. 

“We can’t do anything now. She’s dead,” Mikasa said in a monotone. “We need to catch up to Armin and the others.” Eren let himself being dragged for a few paces before letting go of Mikasa’s hand and sprinting back to the basement of Petra’s house. He and Mikasa reached the house in only a few minutes and ran down the basement steps. Armin and the others weren’t in sight so Eren and Mikasa walked into Eren and Armin’s room. All the backpacks were still there so Eren assumed that Armin, Sasha, and Connie had not yet approached. Eren sat down on his earth bed breathing heavily and winced at the waves of pain that now were demanding to be known and recognized. Mikasa rushed over and lifted his shirt. She knitted her eyebrows and looked at Eren. 

“We need to get you to a healer as soon as we reach the seaside village. Your skin is all red and slightly raised.” She carefully traced her fingers over the marks and Eren shuddered at her touch. They stayed like that for a moment, lost their own individual thoughts. Just as Mikasa stood, Armin, Sasha, and Connie burst through the door. Armin was bleeding from what looked like a large gash on his face and Sasha was clutching her shoulder with her right hand but trickles of red still flowed down past her fingers. Connie seemed to be the only one without any broken skin. He grabbed three backpacks and ran to Eren and Mikasa. 

“The Titans were about to get us and then Sasha tripped. She landed on her shoulder and it got dislocated and cut. Then out of nowhere Eld, Oluo, and Gunther came. Eld and Oluo attacked the Titan while Gunther was getting us to the house safely. Eld are Oluo,” Connie faltered. He looked bitterly to the floor and hissed through his teeth. “They died while they tried to save us. The Titan, it grabbed them in each hand and it... it rammed them into each other. I’ve never seen so much blood…” Connie shook his head angrily and looked back up. His eyes shone bright with anger. “Gunther was the only one left but then a Titan came through a building and grabbed Armin. It was lifting him up and Gunther hit it with a whole bunch of fire blasts around its ankles. The Titan dropped Armin and he fell on his head but it smashed Gunther with his hand. We ran as fast as we could but it’s closing in on us. We need to move now but both our earthbenders are out of commission!” 

Eren struggled to his feet and grabbed Mikasa’s shoulder for support. “I-I can open the door to the tunnel. It’s already made so we just have to go and then implode the basement. I can do that for sure,” Eren panted. He knew he was supposed to try and breathe regularly but he could not take the pain and began to take shallow, fast breaths. Sasha stepped forward to Eren. 

“I can help too. My shoulder may be dislocated but I can use my other arm to help implode the basement. After we’re safe, I can also help bandage anyone’s injuries.” Sasha grinned wickedly and walked into the back of the closet. She dug her fingers into the earthen wall and closed her eyes. With a hum of satisfaction she backed up and thrust her fist out in front of her and stomped at the ground. The earth gave way to a long and dark tunnel. “It goes pretty far because I can’t sense the slope to the surface.” Sasha stepped out of the way and walked over to Eren and Mikasa. She spoke to Mikasa first. “I can make sure he gets to the tunnel after it starts to crumble but you need to be there first to grab him.” Mikasa opened her mouth to object but closed it, thinking better than to object. She walked over to the hole followed by Connie and Armin but Sasha stopped them. “I need you and Armin to be ready, okay Connie? I have a feeling that Eren is a weaker than he’s letting on. After the basement starts to crumble, pull him in with airbending. It’ll be much easier for him than running and he needs some relief. I can get back fine but make sure Eren is first.” Armin and Connie nodded in agreement and walked into the mouth of the tunnel. 

“Eren are you sure you can handle this? I don’t want you to hurt yourself any more than you already have,” Sasha whispered under her breath. Eren nodded his head and tried not to look as hurt as he really was. They both took their earthbending stances with their backs facing the tunnel. Sasha let go of her dislocated arm and let it hang limply. They plunged their hands into the air, palms turned to the ceiling, and forced them back down. The ceiling immediately cracked and large pieces of stone began to fall. Just as they agreed to, Armin and Connie pulled Eren towards them with airbending to keep him safe while Sasha grasped at her other arm and ran towards the tunnel. Just as she dove into the tunnel, a large rock fell and sealed them inside. 

Mikasa lit the palm of hand with a small tongue of fire came to light. The dancing fire’s light created jumping shadows on the walls of the tunnel. Armin spoke up suddenly and made everyone wince. “I think we should walk down the tunnel for a little bit and then we can bandage wounds. The further from Trost we can get, the better.” Nobody disagreed with Armin’s idea so Mikasa took the lead with the light and they began to journey down the tunnel. 

-X-

They walked down the tunnel for hours until they finally could not walk any longer. Eren collapsed on the ground and resisted the urge to crawl up into a ball. Sasha and Connie both sank to the ground, exhausted from the day’s events. Wearily, Armin opened his backpack and emptied its contents. A blanket, water, a bag of lychee nuts, freeze-dried qucumberquats, a variety of first aid supplies, and the signal tile Petra gave to each of them fell out and Armin grabbed for a wrapping bandage and disinfectant. He cleaned his face with the disinfectant from the dried blood and carefully cleaned out his wound. The sting made him wince but he continued to dab. Satisfied with his job, Armin wrapped the bandage around his head turned to the others. 

“I can help with your injuries if you want,” Armin said tiredly. “Sasha, I know I can fix you shoulder for you. Do you want me to?”

“Please do,” Sasha breathed graciously. “The bleeding has only been reduced to a small trickle rather than a stream like before.” She carefully peeled her hand away and lifted up her shirt. “What do you need to do?”

“First of all, we need to pop your shoulder back into place but you need to lay on a raised surface. Can you make a bed or something?” Sasha nodded and raised her hand and he earth behind her raised about a foot of the ground. “Okay then lay down and let the bad shoulder be over the edge. I’m going to pull on the arm and it should pop back into place. It’s going to hurt though. Do you want someone to hold you while I do it?” Sasha nodded.

“Connie? Could you come over here?” she asked. Connie placed down his bag of lychee nuts and got up to walk over to them. He raised his eyebrows and Sasha began to speak. “Armin said he’s going to put my shoulder back into place but apparently it’s really going to hurt. Could you hold me down while he does it? I don’t want to hurt him.” Connie mumbled a response while nodding his head. Sasha gave him a quick bow and laid down on the earth bed she made. Connie grabbed her good arm and gently rubbed circles, easing her nerves. Armin sat down and grasped her bad arm. He gently tugged at first and added more pressure until he was pulling on the arm, away from her body. Sasha groaned and squeezed Connie’s hand. Armin pulled gradually more and more until Sasha began to whimper from pain. Both Connie and Armin tried to whisper encouragement but their attempts were never heard. Tears sprung from Sasha’s eyes but she tried to hold them back. 

“This is it the last pull Sasha,” Armin said softly into her ear. He gave the arm a hard, strong pull and the shoulder retracted back into place with a soft pop! Sasha let out a wail but after she heard the pop, she sat up and moved her healing shoulder. 

“Just sleep with a sling and you should be alright.” Armin stood up and moved over to Mikasa and Eren. Eren had fallen asleep the moment he hit the ground and Mikasa managed to get him in a sitting position so he wouldn’t hurt his ribs even more than he already had. “How is he?”

Mikasa shook her head. “I’m pretty sure it’s much worse than he’s letting on but he won’t say. Either way, I won’t let him out of my protection,” she said deadly serious. She tugged at her ratty old red scarf and pulled it up to her nose. Her eyes darted to Eren and then blinked slowly. 

“You can get some sleep; I’ll take the first shift to watch.” Mikasa looked ready to protest Armin’s plan but once again, she resigned and rested her head on Eren’s lap, closed her eyes and drifted into sleep. Sasha and Connie must have heard Armin because when he turned around, they too were fast asleep. Armin took his bag of lychee nuts and sat on the ground, watching the tunnel for any intruders. 

-X-

Eren did not sleep peacefully like the others. His ribs caused him pain whenever he breathed and his mind was plagued with nightmares. He dreamt of Petra, Oluo, Eld, and Gunther: his second family. At first his dream started nicely; Petra and Oluo were have a petty argument and he, Mikasa, and Armin were relaxing in the kitchen listening. Eren was eating lychee nuts and the sun was shining in his eyes. Then the dream changed and a nightmare took hold. The lychee nuts he was eating became sour and metallic. He let go of the lychee nut he was about to consume and looked at the bag. Inside were six lychee nuts, swimming in a little bag of blood. Eren spit out the lychee nuts and blood in his mouth and threw the bag out the window across from him. He stayed at the window for a moment longer and was shocked to see what was happening. Hordes of Titans, at least thirty per group, were heading towards the house. They were all smiling so hard their eyes had closed. 

“Guys I think we need to…” Eren’s sentence died when he saw what lay before him. Petra and Oluo had long since stopped bickering and now lay on the ground. Petra’s torso was charred and she laid brokenly because of her snapped spine. Oluo laid on the ground face first, his entire upper body swimming in his thick, dark red blood. Eren averted his eyes and called to Mikasa and Armin. They however were looking at him strangely, as if they would never see him again. Armin opened his mouth to speak but the raspy voice that spoke was obviously not Armin. 

“Don’t you know yet? Can you not feel what is going on inside you? Wake up you incompetent child. You live in a false reality.” Armin’s head dropped and Mikasa looked at Eren directly in the eyes. Her eyes had a faraway look in them but she spoke only to Eren. 

“Young hero you must hurry. You still have a long distance to cover if you hope to reach the seaside city. When you arrive at the Sina Mountains, walk to the East and you will find help.” At the last word, Mikasa and Armin both collapsed. Eren shook his head and ran to them. He shook Armin a couple times and then shook Mikasa. Eren began to shout at them.

“Guys wake up. Wake up!” A stream of blood began to flood out of their noses and Eren watched in horror. He slipped a shaky hand to each of their necks to feel for a pulse but he felt nothing. They both were dead. Eren scrambled back and bumped into someone. He turned around and found that it was Gunther; or rather, a mess of limbs that resembled Gunther. Eren shrieked and wildly looked around. The house was disintegrating slowly, the cabinets vanished and soon the tables followed. His calming surroundings were vanishing and the hordes of Titans were only getting closer. He forced his arms out diagonally, trying to create an earth tent but the earth would not cooperate. He kept trying to bend anything at all but it was like he wasn’t a bender at all. Eren stood up and tried to run. He was dreadfully slow and couldn’t go faster than a jog even as the Titans approached faster. 

Suddenly he could not move at all and Eren looked down. Black, misty fingers had encased his chest and he was being lifted to the Titan’s face. Eren struggled and pounded at the fingers but he might as well as thrown lychee nuts at its eyes. The Titan opened its eyes and looked down at Eren. It had giant blue eyes and blonde wild hair. The Titan squeezed its fingers around his chest and Eren heard three snaps. He gasped in pain and soon began to breathe in pants. He closed one eye from the tremendous waves of pain going around his entire body. The Titan smiled happily and released Eren from its grip. He fell fast towards the ground but he was unable to do much of anything due to the pain in his chest. The moment Eren hit the ground, he shot open his eyes and looked around wildly. His eyes adjusted to the dark and took in his surroundings. Mikasa was curled up on his lap asleep and Sasha and Connie were sleeping across from them. Armin was sitting down with his back to them eating lychee nuts; Eren figured he was taking the first shift to watch. He wanted to talk to Armin but he also did not want to disturb Mikasa. Eren looked down at Mikasa and saw her worried and pained expression. He rested and hand on Mikasa’s head and smoothed her hair like his mother used to do to him to try and relax her. Mikasa turned her head but relaxed look took over her face. With his other hand, Eren summoned a small pebble and threw it at Armin to get his attention. Armin flinched and turned around. 

“Eren? You should be resting,” Armin said irritated. Eren waved his hand, beckoning for Armin to come closer. The little blonde huffed and reluctantly walked over. “How are you ribs? Better or worse?”

“They could be better but the pain is definitely still there. I’ve been trying to ignore it but it’s still there,” Eren whispered. “How long have we been here?”

“About five hours,” Armin relied. 

“Don’t you think we should get moving?”

“It depends on you, Eren. If you can walk then I’ll wake everyone but I don’t want to worsen your condition.” 

“I can walk Armin. I’ve had rest and I’m ready to go.” Armin shrugged in defeat.

“Alright then. You wake Mikasa and I’ll wake up Sasha and Connie,” Armin instructed. Eren gently moved his hand from smoothing Mikasa’s hair to shaking her shoulder. She sat up immediately and looked at Eren. 

“Is something wrong?” Mikasa asked. 

“Nothing’s wrong. We are just going to leave this area and walk further.” Mikasa immediately protested the action.

“But what about your ribs? Are you okay to walk?”

“I’m fine Mikasa don’t worry,” Eren quietly chuckled at Mikasa’s question. 

“What’s so funny?” 

“It’s just that you look so serious but you kind of have bedhead.” Mikasa stood up and shook her hair, effectively ridding herself of any bedhead and offered Eren hand. He gingerly accepted it and stood up. Armin had finally woken up Sasha and Connie and they were ready to travel further even though Sasha complained about their rations being very bland. Together, they all began walking down the seemingly never ending tunnel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 12 tomorrow!!! Thanks for reading, leaving kudos, and comments!! Let me know what you think below and come bother me on my tumblr: www.chibinico.tumblr.com


	12. Meet the Leaders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Levi, Hanji, and Erwin Smith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter-over 4K! This chapter was interesting to write so I hope I didn't fuck it up. Also, thank you to all my readers, I have finally reached 1,000 hits!! Enjoy the chapter!

Walking the entirety of the tunnel took the group about a day. Connie was beginning to fray from being contained in the earth, his elemental opposite. The moment Sasha said she felt a change in the tunnel’s course, Connie began running ahead of everyone. Soon after, beams of sunlight began to show and everyone, including Eren, began to run towards the exit. The tunnel let out right in front of a rushing river with mountains surrounding them. Mikasa helped ease Eren onto a rock to sit on while Armin stretched and Sasha and Connie went down to the river. 

“What do we do now?” Armin asked casually. “I mean we listened to Petra and the others to leave through the tunnel but now there’s a huge mountain range blocking us so how exactly are we going to reach the town on the other side?” 

“I don’t know Armin,” Mikasa voiced. 

“We need to go east,” Eren spoke confidently. Armin turned to face his friend.

“How can you be sure?”

“Well I had another weird dream like the one with Mom. In it, you and Mikasa were there and you guys started talking to me but it wasn’t really you. I think something was forcing itself through using your appearances. It said to go east and our troubles would be solved.” Armin and Mikasa both looked unsure of Eren’s crazy idea. “I know it sounds really far-fetched but it’s not like we have another plan.” Armin shrugged his shoulders.

“We don’t really have anything to lose by trying it out. If something really can help us, then that’s great.” Armin had a point and Mikasa nodded and began to speak. 

“If we are going to be finding someone, we should start moving now. If we find them soon, Eren could get his ribs healed sooner.” Mikasa called over to Sasha and Connie who were messing around in the river. They both turned and swam over. “We are going to leave here now to head east. By the way, do you happen to know which direction is east?” 

Sasha spoke immediately. “It’s that way,” she declared while pointing to Mikasa’s left. “At my home village, we were hunters so we were always trained to know where we were in terms of direction.” She beamed at them and scrambled out of the water. “I can take charge for a while until we find the village.” Sasha stood proudly and grabbed her backpack filled with supplies that she had thrown down earlier. Her usual perky and unpredictable demeanor changed and she was suddenly serious and orderly. “Let’s go,” she ordered. Everyone stood and began to follow Sasha to the east. 

-X-

They walked for two hours before anything remotely exciting happened to them. Connie’s face was twisted into a glare and he mumbled to himself about how hot it was outside. The late June heat was not helping them in the least. Even Eren began to complain. 

“It’s really hot out here,” Eren panted. Sweat had consolidated enough to drip down strands of hair and off his chin. “Does anyone have water? I finished all of mine.” Mikasa stopped walking long enough to   
fish out her own water bottle. There was just about enough water for one person to drink. She offered it to Eren without a second thought but Eren refused it. “I’m not going to finish your water, you need it too.” Mikasa grinned and downed the rest of the water. 

“Sorry, I just got really thirsty that’s all,” Mikasa said. Eren grinned at the playful banter and lightly threw a punch at her shoulder. In front of them Armin and Connie both suddenly stopped and Mikasa and Eren ran into them. Armin held up his hand for silence and closed his eyes, concentrating hard. The next moment happened so fast, it was like a blur. Armin and Connie leaped back as Mikasa, Sasha, and Eren were all hosed down by a sudden stream of water. As suddenly as it started, the stream of water diverted itself to the ground next to the three soaking wet teenagers. A woman’s voice began to shout but she was too far away to see. 

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t see anyone before I started but I’m still really sorry for that!” The voice grew stronger by the second and the group looked up. An older woman dressed in blue with large glasses strapped over her brown hair, which had bangs parted in the middle in the front and the rest pulled back in a messy ponytail, came sliding down from the top of the mountain on an ice board. She continued to shout at them but the speed at which she was going simply ripped the words away before they could possibly reach the group on the ground. The woman kept sliding down until she reached a distance of twenty feet from the ground. Then she jumped off the stream of water she was sliding on and did two summersaults in the air before landing with a loud thud on her feet. The woman ran up to them and began apologizing profusely. 

“I really am so sorry about this. You see I was trying to add water to a drying stream in the town on the other side of the mountains and the only way to do that successfully without flooding the town is to make the new current flow around here, the other side of the Sina Mountains. I looked at first to see if anyone was down here but that was about an hour ago. I really am sorry.” The woman bowed to each of them and then stood up straight, taking in a full view of the dumbfounded travelers. “Say, aren’t you a little young to be traveling on your own? I can escort you to the town and give you a place to stay if you’d like. But first let me dry you off.” The woman spread her arms out in front of her and made beckoning motions. The water from Mikasa, Eren, and Sasha’s clothes flew out and they were dry in seconds. Armin spoke for his still speechless friends. 

“Uh, thank you for the offer. We’ll accept it but could you help us find someone we believe to be in the town first? We are looking for a man named Erwin Smith.” The woman’s cheery expression dropped instantly and was replaced by suspicion. She crossed her arms and looked at the group skeptically. 

“Who wants to know?” The woman asked while eying the group. Mikasa overcame her shock of the situation and stepped forward next to Armin.

“My name is Mikasa Ackerman and this one here is my friend Armin Arlet and my brother Eren Jaeger is standing over there. We are the missing children from Shiganshina. We went to Trost and lived with people who knew Erwin Smith. Their names were Petra Ral, Eld Jinn, Oluo Bozado, and Gunther Schultz. They sent us with a symbol and told us to find Erwin Smith, leader of the Survey Corps.” The woman looked over Mikasa and finally produced a question.

“What symbol? Show me.” Mikasa sat her backpack down and dug around until her fingers closed around a circular tile. She removed her hand from the bag and gave the tile to the woman. Her eyes widened as she saw the tile with the overlapping wings and the woman’s cryptic attitude vanished. She smiled happily towards them and handed the tile back over.

“If you are ready, I can lead you to Erwin right now,” she beamed. Eren, who had been snacking on lychee nuts during the conversation, nearly choked while trying to speak to the woman. He clutched at his chest as a wave of pain from coughing made him dizzy. 

“Please, take us there as soon as you can,” Eren begged. The woman nodded happily and motioned for them to follow her as she began to walk towards the mountains. They walked into a wooded area at the base of one mountain and another tunnel opened in front of them. Connie began grumbling the minute he saw the tunnel. The woman caught wind of his distress and turned to him. 

“If you don’t like tunnels, you don’t have to worry at all. The tunnel isn’t that long because this is a particularly slim mountain.” The woman continued to chatter on while she strolled into the tunnel. She walked for about three paces until she stopped and looked at the group. “Are any of you firebenders? I prefer to use a torch but if you are in a hurry to see Erwin, a quick tongue of flame is better.” Mikasa stepped forward and opened her palm. Like many previous times, a tongue of fire ignited and danced in her palm. The woman shied away from the young firebender and continued to walk further into the tunnel. The group of traveling teens soon caught up to the woman and Armin began to ask her questions.

“So may I ask for name and how you know Erwin Smith?” The woman laughed happily and replied.

“Sorry again! I thought I had given you my name already but I must not have. My name is Hanji Zoe and I am a squadron leader of the Survey Corps. I recently went with Erwin Smith and my fellow special operation squad leader, Levi Ackerman, to Ba Sing Se on a mission. I usually work under Erwin but I’ve met with him multiple times for permission to do experiments.” Eren raised his eyebrow a Hanji, confused by what she meant by experiments. Hanji laughed at his expression and carried on. “That probably came out wrong but I’m not some crazy woman who experiments on people. No in my job, I have to test Titans for their weaknesses. I am the one who discovered how to kill a Titan without the use of the Avatar,” she said proudly. Eren gaped at her.

“You mean you’ve actually captured Titans? I thought they were spirits!” Eren exclaimed excitedly. He winced from taking too deep a breath and tried to calm down. Hanji took his question as an invitation to divulge into the deep depths of what exactly her job required her to do. 

“Well, um what’s your name again?”

“Eren.”

“Well Eren,” Hanji said. “Titans are spirits but that doesn’t mean they are uncatchable. Back in the early years, my predecessor discovered that Titans were actually quite mindless and they kill simply for the joy of it. It’s horrible but the only reason they cross from the spirit world into our world is because they want to kill. We imprisoned them by using the four elements. Apparently, Titans can escape if you bind them using only one element, but if you use all four, it can’t escape. We always have monitors on them just in case they do manage to escape somehow but it hasn’t happened yet.” Hanji paused as she saw light coming into the tunnel. She squealed and continued to talk. “We are getting close so I’ll spare you some details about the specifics of my job. For the most part I do experiments and tests on Titans to see when they are most vulnerable and when they are easiest to kill. By the way, are any of you planning on joining the Survey Corps?” Eren spoke up without hesitation to tell Hanji his goal. 

“Armin, Mikasa, and I are going to after we speak to Erwin. Petra and Eld convinced us after telling us the reason they joined. Petra was so passionate about it, I knew it was what I wanted to do. I want to help stop the Titans from killing those I care about and I swore to myself that I was going to do whatever it took.” Hanji smiled at him and said quietly. 

“Erwin’s going to like you.” She then turned her head to look at Sasha and Connie. “What about you two?”

Sasha spoke for them. “We considered it for a while and after our roommate died because we couldn’t save her from a Titan, we decided to join too.” Connie nodded his head in agreement. There was a comfortable silence until they exited the tunnel on the outskirts of the small town. Eren felt a painful wave of nostalgia as he looked at the town. It looked almost exactly like Shiganshina if it was a seaside town. They walked into the city and through the market square. It wasn’t particularly busy so they did not have to be mindful of their surroundings. Hanji led them to a large, fancy green and yellow house. 

“This are our temporary headquarters and it’s also the place where we are staying until we receive word from Petra and the others,” Hanji said cheerily. The group of teens looked at each other realizing they hadn’t told Hanji that Petra and the others were dead. The older woman did not see their confliction however, and walked into the green and yellow house. “Take your shoes of if you can but if they are boots, just wipe them on the mat.” Eren slipped of his shoes like Hanji asked but everyone else, who were all wearing boots, simply wiped their shoes on the mat. The house was sparkling clean and very large. They followed Hanji into the main room where two people were sitting. The room itself was beautiful with various shades of green painted on the walls. A strip of wood that ran around the room was painted blue and yellow and there were red and orange plates stacked in the corner. The two people sat at a long wooden table looked at their new arrivals. The two sitting were both men but one was distinctively shorter than the other. The tall man wore long beige pants with tall brown boots that gripped his well-shaped calves with a simple orange short sleeved V-neck and smiled politely at the newcomers. The shorter man wore red baggy pants that came to his knees and tall, tight fitting brown boots with a loose maroon colored sleeveless vest over a dark red tee with short sleeves and showed his slender but muscular arms. He did not smile at the newcomers but glared at them like intruders with a perpetual look of complete annoyance from everyone nearby. Hanji practically yelled to them even though they were only a few paces from the people sitting. 

“Erwin! Levi! Look who I found outside! I was making that stream and then they happened to walk by. I had accidentally doused them in river water but they didn’t mind much I don’t think.” Hanji was interrupted by the short man who placed a hand on the bridge of his nose. 

“Hanji please stop yelling. Honestly, sometimes I wonder how we ever made a demon like you head of the second most important squad in the Survey Corps. By the way who the hell are the kids you brought with you? Please tell me they aren’t your long lost children or something.” The taller man scowled at the shorter man. 

“Levi, we have new guests. Be nice,” the taller man ordered. 

“Yes sir,” the man apparently named Levi said. He stood and walked to the room adjacent to the main room. He came back shortly with teacups and a pot of hot tea. He gestured for the young adults and Hanji to take a seat and handed them each a cup of steaming tea. Hanji took her tea and walked around the table to other side where the taller man and Levi where sitting and sat down. Levi lifted his cup of tea from the rim expertly and took a sip.

“For the record Levi, they are not my long lost children because I never had kids,” Hanji declared. “But they have quite a story to tell so I suggest they start talking.” Eren, Mikasa, and Armin looked at each other and had a silent conversation on what would be said. They decided on Eren to talk to Hanji and the others since he was the one who had the vision to come and meet Erwin. 

Eren cleared his throat and began to speak. “My name is Eren Jaeger and this is Mikasa Ackerman, my adopted sister, Armin Arlet, Sasha Blouse, and Connie Springer.” Levi widened his eyes at the sound of Eren’s name and placed his teacup down, now deeply interested in their story. “Mikasa, Armin, and I are from Shiganshina while Sasha and Connie are from separate villages. We didn’t meet them until we got to Trost. Anyways, when the Titans attacked, we fled up the mountain where our mother had told us to go in case they happened to attack us. We waited for a few hours and when we returned, everyone was dead…including my mother. We left to go back up the mountain and we stayed there for about a week until Petra strolled into town. She was a trader and we met her and explained what happened. She took us in and headed back to Trost. We encountered a Titan but killed it under her direction. I um, I passed out after that for four days but while I was out, I had a dreamlike vision of my dead mother. She told me that she didn’t have much time and that I had to find and talk to someone named Erwin Smith and that he could help me. She was going to tell me something else important about me, but she vanished before she could.” Levi nodded his head knowingly and sat back in his chair. 

“When I woke up, we were in Trost. I had told Petra about my vision and she told me she could help us find the man named Erwin. She took us in and we trained under her, Eld, Oluo, and Gunther. You see I’m an earthbender, Mikasa’s a firebender, and Armin’s an airbender. We stayed for two weeks and then we met Sasha and Connie. We became good friends and saw each other frequently. At the end of those two weeks, Petra came back with word from Erwin and said that he and his comrades wouldn’t be coming for another three weeks. At that time we also decided to join the Survey Corps upon meeting him. Our training got harder after that. Not much happened in the three weeks of waiting until Gunther came back with another letter from Erwin. There were direct instructions and they followed them out. The Titans attacked at the same moment however. Eld told us to get to the basement a moment before the house was hit by a Titan. I broke three ribs and fractured two other ones from the force of the impact. Petra found us in the basement and gave us these backpacks that had a bunch of survival things along with a circular tile with overlapping blue and white wings. She said to show it to Erwin or Levi or Hanji when we met them. After that she told us about an escape tunnel in the basement and left us to help the other civilians. We left too to find Sasha and Connie so we could escape together. We found them but we were pursed by Titans on the way back. Mikasa and I got separated from Armin, Sasha, and Connie on the way back but I found Petra. She…she helped divert a Titan away from a group of evacuating people but it…it grabbed her and squeezed her to death in its grip.” The three adults widened their eyes in hearing this piece of information. Levi gritted his teeth and looked down. Eren paused until Hanji nodded at him to continue. 

“Mikasa and I made it back to the basement so we waited for Armin and the others to return. When they came back they said that Oluo and Eld tried to keep them safe from a Titan and they were killed. Gunther…he had been escorting them to the basement but Armin was snatched by a Titan and Gunther started firebending at it to get it to release him but it didn’t work properly and the Titan dropped Armin but smashed Gunther rather than try to chase him. They…they all died while trying to make sure we were safe.” Eren could feel the tears threatening to flow and he let them openly. He felt so guilty for their deaths. If he hadn’t broken his ribs, he and Mikasa would not have been separated and he could have protected them from the Titan long enough to get to the basement without Eld, Gunther, or Oluo needing to intervene. Mikasa wrapped her hand around his shoulder to soothe him but the tears still came. He stared down at the table for a moment to collect himself then looked up. Across from him, Levi was also looking hard at the table. His eyes did not gleam with tears but they shone with despair. Hanji supportively put a hand on Levi’s shoulder but he shrugged it off. 

Levi looked up at Eren and whispered through clenched teeth, “Go on. What happens next?”

Eren wiped his face and cleared his throat, not trusting his voice completely. “After that, we fled Trost. We walked down the tunnel for about a day and we helped each other with any fixable injuries. None of us are waterbenders so my ribs are still broken. On our last night in the tunnel, I got another vision from a spirit or something. It told me that we needed to head east when we faced the Sina Mountain Range. I listened to them and we walked east until we met Hanji. She escorted us into the town and here we are.” The tall man leaned forward and looked Eren in the eyes. 

“You should know that I am Erwin Smith, leader of the Survey Corps and depending on what you must ask me I can help you. But first, I need to ask you a few questions. What was your mother’s name? Who was your father?”

“My mother’s name was Carla Jaeger and my father went on a business trip to Ba Sing Se over a year ago. I don’t know what happened to him but I really don’t care,” Eren spat bitterly. 

Erwin nodded and continued his interrogation. “Have you ever had these dream visions before?” 

“No.”

“How many Titans were in the attack at Trost would you say?”

“There were a lot. I would say maybe twenty or more.” Erwin raised his impossibly large eyebrows. 

“And how old are you?”

“I’m seventeen, Mikasa and Armin are too. I actually don’t know Sasha and Connie’s ages though.”

Erwin hummed in approval and looked at Hanji. “Hanji, will you show our newest recruits to the bedrooms please. I’m sure that they are very tired from their ordeal. That is everyone but Eren and Mikasa if she wants to go with you. Take them to the healing hut in the back and begin mending Eren’s ribs. They may not be healing correctly.” Hanji nodded and placed her right fist over her heart while placing her left fist behind her back. She waved for Armin, Sasha, and Connie and pointed to a hallway to follow to their rooms. After they left, she motioned for Eren and Mikasa and they left through the kitchen to go to the healing hut. Once the door closed Erwin turned to Levi. 

“Levi-“Erwin began.

“Shut the hell up Erwin.” Levi stood and walked to a window. Erwin remained at the table and waited for Levi to vent out his grief. “It hadn’t even been a year since we became a squad,” Levi whispered. “Farlon and Isabelle…they ended up just like Farlon and Isabelle. I left them and when I finally come back, they’re dead and gone. If you had just let me fucking leave when I asked to a week ago, I could’ve saved them.” Erwin knew the familiar pattern of Levi’s grieving. He would draw into himself until alone with someone he trusted. Once he was alone he lost control and made outrageous accusations. This burst of anger however, could not be ignored. Erwin stood and approached Levi. 

“Levi you know full well that you have some of the best firebending I have ever seen, but not even you could take out twenty plus Titans with only your squad. Calm down and think. We have a more pressing matter anyway. I think you already know but tell me anyway because I want to know if we are on the same page.”

Levi turned around and looked disinterestedly at Erwin. “Are you talking about Eren?”

“Yes. You knew the minute he talked about his mother didn’t you?”

Levi shifted the direction of his glare to the wall. “My sources from back then are creditable. I knew about him for about a year now but I didn’t tell you because it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. I didn’t know anything about him except his name.” 

Erwin gave Levi a very confused look. “You knew this for a year? But you didn’t tell anyone?”

Levi looked at Erwin straight in the eyes. “Of course I knew. Eren Jaeger is the Avatar.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLOT TWIST!! (all though, some people guessed it in the comments like two chapters ago) FINALLY the Ereri boat is starting to sail and sail it shall. Chapter 13 will be out next Saturday and seriously, thanks for all the hits, kudos, and comments!! I love reading your reactions so leave your thoughts below or come and bother me on tumblr: www.chibinico.tumblr.com


	13. The Firebender and the Waterbender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Hanji's background story! Also, Eren and Mikasa gets some unexpected news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite what the summary says, we don't learn all about Levi's background. We are going to learn a majority of it but it will be later revisited and told by Levi himself. It's about time but finally we have some cute Ereri fluff!! Enjoy!

Levi crossed his arms and looked at his commanding officer. “Since Eren is the Avatar, he needs a protective guard of elites but my squad was decimated in Trost. I could train those brats who just came in and make them my new elites”. Erwin nodded and turned around. “Which element are we going to teach him first?” 

“The cycle goes air, water, earth, and then fire. The hardest element to learn is air because it’s his natural opposite. He is very determined but it may still be a challenge. I would say we’ll start him off with water. We are in a seaside town after all. We can stay here until he masters waterbending,” Erwin declared. 

“When are we going to tell him?” Levi questioned. 

“Now. I’m sure the word will spread to his friends soon enough. We can let the press know when we leave here. The people of the four nations need to know the Avatar has returned.” Erwin turned with a smirk on his face. “Oh and Levi? I want you to tell him, so go.” Levi grimaced but dutifully turned and walked outside to the healing hut. 

-X-

Hanji had led Eren and Mikasa to a small building in the back. The little building had one main room and one bathroom adjacent to the main room. In the center of the room was another healing pond. This pond had a small platform in the middle of the water. Hanji led Eren to the small platform and instructed him to take off his shirt and lay down. After Eren laid down, Hanji began bending water over his entire chest and placed her hands just under the surface of the water but not quite touching Eren’s skin. Eren flinched and let a hiss escape from his teeth. Hanji soothed his hisses with calming words and smiled.

“Eren just relax. I can’t heal you properly if you are tense. Besides, I’m the official healer for the Survey Corps. I can heal almost any injury. Your broken ribs should heal in two weeks and the fractured ribs should heal by the end of this week if we have healing sessions.” Hanji continued to heal Eren while a comfortable silence filled the little room. The peaceful silence was interrupted when the doors burst open to reveal little Levi. He strutted across the room and had a serious look on his face. 

“Is Eren awake?” he asked.

Eren responded shakily, “Yeah, what’s wrong?” 

“Erwin and I figured out what your mother tried to tell you in that dream of yours.” Eren propped himself up on his elbows and raised an eyebrow at Levi. “You are the Avatar, Eren.” Eren sat straight up, effectively ruining Hanji’s healing process, and began to stammer. 

“I-I I can’t be the Avatar. I’m just an earthbender. Nothing more nothing less.” Eren’s teal green eyes darted back and forth. Mikasa sat straight up in her chair and looked at Levi. 

“You’re completely serious? Absolutely positive that Eren is the Avatar?” she demanded. Levi regarded her coolly and narrowed his eyes. 

“Yes I’m positive.” Levi turned and looked back at Eren. “Hanji is going to heal your ribs and then after that we start your training. Learning the elements is hard shit and you really don’t have a lot of time to learn them all. And your friends will be trained again as well. I’ll tell you this now but I’m going to be your squad leader. Welcome to the Elites,” he said dryly. Levi turned and walked out of the hut, waving good-bye. 

Hanji eased Eren back onto the healing platform so she could resume healing his ribs. Even though she was trying to soothe him with kind words and encouragement, it didn’t seem to be working. “Eren,” Hanji said softly. “Why are you freaking out?”

“I can’t be the Avatar!” he shouted. He flinched at the wave of pain that hit him after his shouts. He took a breath and tried again. “I couldn’t even restrain one Titan on my own and I pretty much have earthbending down like the back of my hand; that only took me about seventeen goddamn years to master. How the hell am I supposed to learn and master three new elements and stop the all Titans? I’ll tell you how, I can’t. It’s fucking impossible.” Eren paused to catch his breath and looked up at Hanji who had a small smile on her face.

“So basically you’re scared that you are going to fail and mess up. You don’t want to mess up but you don’t see any other way that you could succeed. Am I right?” Eren nodded and Hanji chuckled to herself. “Oh Eren, do you really think that we would do that to you? Did you really think that we would make sure you master all the elements then just send you into Titan infested areas and say ‘good luck, we’ll see you later?’” Eren darted his eyes to the ceiling and frowned angrily. “It’s not only our job to protect you but to help you. We know how scary this is and I know you know the horrors of the Titans. Yes, you are going to mess up sometimes because that is what everyone does; we mess up. It’s inevitable but how you rebound from these mistakes, that’s what defines you. You have what you call a problem, being the Avatar. How are you going to rebound? Will you sit and whine about how impossible it is or are you going to suck it up and learn water, fire, and air to kick Titan ass for the world?” Mikasa walked over from her chair and crouched next to Eren. She tousled his hair slightly and began to speak. 

“Eren do you remember what you promised me the day we left Shiganshina?” 

Eren turned his head and looked at his sister. “Of course. I swore that whatever it took, I was going to wipe out all the Titans from our world.”

Mikasa nodded and continued to speak. “At the time I completely believed you but when we got to Trost and I saw all the Titans that were attacking, I knew that it was looking less and less possible. Now though, you have the power to stop them. You are the Avatar. It sounds like a lot of responsibility but no one expects a seventeen year old to be able to wipe out all the Titans any time soon. And you heard Levi, it’s going to be you, me, Armin, Sasha, and Connie all together on the same team. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

Eren took her hand and closed his eyes. “Thanks you guys. And to Hanji, I’m going to stay strong.” He breathed in, opened his eyes, and all traces of fear were gone from his eyes. “Hanji, about how much longer is healing my ribs going to take?” The brunette looked up and replied briskly. 

“For today, about another hour. Tomorrow should be about four more hours. After that, it’s up to you to monitor them and tell me if they feel off to you, okay?” Eren nodded and glanced at Mikasa. 

“Would you mind getting me some food Mikasa? Please?” Eren offered a smile while Mikasa closed her eyes and shook her head. 

“What do you want to eat,” she resigned. 

“Just some lychee nuts from the bags. Maybe a moon peach? Snack food basically. Thanks a bunch Mikasa!” he called as she left the healing hut. A cozy silence fell in the room after Mikasa left. The only noise was the sound of the churning water healing his ribs. Eren decided to break the cozy silence and learn a bit more about Hanji. “Hey Hanji,” he started. “Why did you join the Survey Corps?” 

Hanji grinned to herself and launched into a long story. “Well Eren,” she began. “I grew up in the Northern Water Tribe when I was a little girl. I was taught how to use my waterbending to heal until I was nineteen. After that, we were finally attacked by Titans; they came through the spirit portal, a place forbidden to anyone who was not royalty. We managed to fight the Titans until they became disinterested and went back to the spirit world. After that, a lot of our male waterbenders were injured and could not fight. Even though it was against common courtesy, I went to speak with our tribe leader. I asked him to let women learn to fight so that we could help defend our great city. He rejected my idea and became angry at me for trying to change the customs. I was banished to our sister tribe, the Southern Water Tribe and I haven’t gone back since. 

“In the South, I learned how to use my waterbending practically and it didn’t matter that I was a woman. I stayed in the South up until I was 26, two years ago. Erwin came into the South looking for waterbenders to join the Survey Corps. When he asked me to join, I agreed immediately. I wanted to help change the world and being stuck in Southern Water Tribe would not be helping to make an actual difference. Erwin and I traveled to the Fire Nation next to find firebenders. That’s where I met Levi. It was about six months after I joined the Survey Corps. He was a wanted criminal with two comrades, Farlan and Isabelle, who had stolen a piece of information from the Fire Sages. Erwin recovered the information from Levi after a small fight and gave Levi and his group a chance to live freely as part of the Survey Corps rather than going to prison. Levi accepted the offer and we left for Ba Sing Se. 

“On the way to the city, we ran into problems. We had to split into a group of three and two in order to effectively search the small villages and towns in case the new Avatar, you, were there. Farlan and Isabelle went as a group while Erwin, Levi, and I went the other way. We planned to meet in a week the Serpent’s Pass. Erwin, Levi, and I showed up but Farlan and Isabelle didn’t. Levi got worried and asked Erwin to go back to all the towns they were assigned to. We searched all the towns but we found them in the last one. The Titans had destroyed the place in a sudden attack. Farlan and Isabelle both died and Levi cracked. He attacked Erwin and he was going to kill him but Erwin calmed him down and told him to direct his anger at the Titans and to make his goal to kill the Titans and make sure nothing like that happened again. Since then Levi’s been known as our strongest member, excluding the Avatar. He’s a very capable firebender and will most likely teach you. For waterbending, I’ll be your master and since I’m also your doctor I will most likely start training you in three days. Rest up okay?”

Eren stared at Hanji with a look of admiration. Then the admiration switched to confusion. “Wait Hanji you saw what the Titans can do, what they did do to Farlan and Isabelle. Why do you want to work with them?”

Hanji moved her hands to Eren’s lower ribcage and rested her hands again. “Eren, when you cry from being sad or angry what happens after a while?”

“You get tired and exhausted.”

“Exactly. Running on rage and hatred for the Titans without a very solid, unmovable reason just tires you after. Levi fights with anger from everyone he’s lost. Erwin fights because he wants to reclaim this world more than anyone. I’m sure you have your own reasons. I on the other hand, I joined because I lost everything and I wanted to try and help others. I have lost good friends and good students in the past two years but I can’t fight them with rage. I realized about a year ago that I love to learn. I was banished because I wanted to learn more and I left the Southern Water Tribe because I had learned everything I could there. Working with Titans though, no one knows a thing about them. I can be the first to unlock their secrets and divulge into their mysterious world. I can really learn until I can’t anymore for the first time. I want to destroy them too and by learning about them, I can help.” 

“So that’s the real reason why you talk without end about Titans. Gee I really feel hurt that you would tell the kid before me though. I was under the impression that I was your best friend,” a voice by the door said. Hanji jumped and splashed water on Eren’s face. Levi smirked walked back into the room. He took a seat where Mikasa had once sat and placed a basket he was holding on his lap. Hanji glared at Levi and splashed water at him. The water hit Levi and he merely scoffed, the water already steaming off him. 

“Some warning before you scare the shit out of me would be very much appreciated,” Hanji said clearly annoyed with Levi. 

Levi chuckled quietly and looked at Eren. “Oi, your sister asked me to give these to you. They’re moon peaches and lychee nuts.” Levi look three lychee nuts from the basket before handing it to Eren’s outstretched arm. 

“Thank you Levi,” Eren said graciously. The older man responded with a simple head nod and looked off. As Hanji resumed healing, Eren took the time to gaze over Levi. The man was shorter than him by about five or more inches and wore a perpetually bored expression. He had a distinct jawline but it suited him well. He styled his hair in neat undercut and kept his clothes spotless and orderly. Eren tried to locate any small flaws in his appearance but the man was flawless. Levi’s vulgar language, deadpanned jokes, and overall personality basically screamed ‘leave me the hell alone’ but there was something about him Eren liked; he just couldn’t put his finger on it. Even though he knew it was wrong, Eren settled his feeling on Levi’s eyes. They were a strong bluish gray but Eren could tell they guarded a carefully locked away secret. Eren instantly made it his goal to get close enough to Levi to unlock that secret, maybe even make him happy. Eren smiled to himself at the thought of being able to make Levi happy. 

“You should take a picture, I hear they last longer,” Levi deadpanned. Eren immediately wiped the smile he had off his face and looked anywhere but Levi, he face turning red. Hanji cracked a grin at Eren’s expression and snorted. Levi narrowed his eyes at Hanji and gave her a look of disgust. “You know that’s fucking disgusting right?” 

Hanji full out cackled at Levi’s look of disgust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 14(holy shit, already?) tomorrow! 
> 
> Also, next week's update MIGHT change. I have a lot of exams to study for so I MAY be unable to post at proper times. If I do have to change the update, chapter 15 will be up this upcoming Friday and 16 may still be on Sunday, just a little earlier than usual. This is all still iffy so if 15 isn't up on friday, the update schedule will be the same as always. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, leaving comments, and kudos! Tell me what you thought about the chapter and I'll do my best to respond. Honestly writing these two little shits is the cutest thing and I love to do it so much so expect a lot of cute Ereri fluff and "awww you little shits" moments in the future!
> 
> Bother me on tumblr at: www.chibinico.tumblr.com


	14. Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren learns waterbending. Mikasa improves in firebending. Why are Hanji and Levi teachers?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long one-nearly 3K!  
> Thank you to my readers who now have this fic at nearly 1300 hits!! That's crazy!  
> Minor time jump of one week.  
> Just a heads up, the next couple of chapters might be a little slow paced but they are mandatory for the plot so I tried to make them as fun as I could.  
> Enjoy!

The week flew by before Eren knew it and thanks to Hanji’s expert healing, he had a set of fully healed ribs. Now that he had her clearance, he went to see Erwin. He knocked on his office door first and pushed the door open. “Commander Erwin? Can I come in?” 

“Come on in Eren,” he said cheerily. Eren pushed the door open the full way and was surprised to see Levi sitting in one of Erwin’s office chairs, sleeping. His black hair fell over his eyes and his head was tilted to the side. How he did it Eren didn’t know but he still managed to keep his face look eternally annoyed. His mouth was slightly open and Eren could hear the soft puffs of breath coming from him. Eren resisted the urge to smile and turned his attention back to Erwin. 

“Hanji gave me the all clear so I can began my Avatar training. What element should I start with?” Erwin had been doing paperwork but he placed his pen down and looked up at Eren. 

“It’s up to you. Traditionally you start with water, then earth, then fire, and then air. Air will most likely be the most challenging because it is your natural opposite but I recommend starting with waterbending. It has many uses outside the battlefield that are god to know. Hanji will be your master because she’s the best waterbender we have. I will teach you air and Levi will teach firebending. I assume you’ve already mastered earthbending?” Eren nodded and glanced at Levi once more before returning Erwin’s eye contact. 

“I think I will start with waterbending,” he decided. 

“THAT’S A GREAT IDEA EREN!” Hanji came barging into the room and swung her arm over his shoulder. Levi groaned in his sleep as if he sensed her presence and brought his legs up to the chair. Hanji turned to see Levi’s sleeping form and she began to coo. “Aw look at little Levi sleeping! He’s like a little baby, the way he sleeps. It’s absolutely adorable!” she squealed. She continued to coo until Erwin cleared his throat. Hanji immediately straightened up and saluted the commander. “Sir, I have come to ask if I can begin to train Eren by the sea.” 

“Go ahead but take Levi with you. We have students to teach and to get them up to our level may take longer time then we have.” Hanji nodded and walked over to Levi’s chair. She stuck her face directly in front of Levi’s and gently prodded him awake. Levi’s eyes fluttered open to find Hanji’s enormous face right in front of him. He jumped back into the chair and fell over.

“What the fuck Hanji? I was sleeping,” he seethed. 

“Erwin told me to. Time to train the newbies,” Hanji squealed. She motioned for Eren to follow her and walked out of the room. Levi followed as well, grumbling with every step he took. 

“Oi Kid,” Levi barked. Eren flinched at the sound of Levi shouting. “Go get Mikasa. Time to train my only student.” Eren bowed at Levi and hurried to find his sister. Levi stared where Eren had run off. The kid was so naïve, in his opinion, for wanting to kill all the Titans and drive them all out of their world. Levi softened his glare and sunk into his thoughts. Still, Eren always managed to make Levi smile internally. He would never show Eren just how funny he thought his lame jokes were with a smile or a smirk. Eren had impressed him over the course of the week with his own endurance. Whenever he thought no one could see, even though Levi saw him just fine, he would try to practice his earthbending despite his broken ribs. He had determination and lots of it. Levi could tell whenever Eren was going to do something no matter what by his eyes. The oddly appealing teal-green would shine like the counters after Levi cleaned them and every color could be seen. There were also flecks of golden yellow and brown in addition to the glittering teal and green in his eyes. Levi decided that ultimately, he liked Eren’s eyes. A lot. 

“Levi!” Levi momentarily surfaced from his thoughts to listen to Hanji. He glanced back at her to show he was listening. “When Eren gets back, lead him and Mikasa to the beach. That’s where I’ll be, alright?” Levi nodded and went back to his thoughts on Eren. A few moments later, Eren and Mikasa came down the hall to where Levi stood. Eren immediately saluted to Levi and Levi chuckled. 

“Come on kids. We’re going to the beach.”

-X-

The walk to where Hanji was did not take very long. She had taken off some of her heavier clothes due to the summer heat and wore blue leggings with tightly fit grey boots with a loose light blue shirt. Hanji happily stood and waved to Eren. He turned and said good bye to Levi and Mikasa then turned and ran down the sand to meet his newest master. 

“Okay Eren. First things first: history. In order to properly waterbend and to learn more advanced and eventually master level techniques, you need to know how the first waterbenders learned. Go and sit in the sand by the tides.” Eren followed her instructions and sat close to the tides. “Tell me what you see.”

“I see the water moving back and forth. It goes out from the sea onto the beach then back from the beach into the sea.” Hanji hummed approval. 

“Good. Study the waves while I talk, okay? Waterbending is the element of change. The first waterbenders learned how to push and pull the waves by the moon. You should know that he moon was the first waterbender; it pushes and pulls the waves. Learning how isn’t really all that hard. The hard part is being able to feel the push and pull of the water. Once you can do that waterbending will be like second nature. Now studying the water after hearing that, what do you see?”

Eren squinted his eyes and replied carefully. “I can see the push and pull of the water.” He look up at Hanji uncertainly but she beamed at him and began clapping. 

“You are absolutely correct. The other important thing to remember is that water is everywhere. It’s in the air, the plants, every living thing has water inside it. You can use that to your advantage in a desert for instance. If you have no water, you can bend the water from the air until you have enough to drink. Also be wary of this fact. Anyone else might try to bend the water inside of you. That’s called bloodbending and it’s strictly forbidden in the Survey Corps. Don’t even attempt it understood?” Eren nodded vigorously and stared at the waves again. Hanji softened her voice and stood up, shaking sand from her legging. “Time to start bending! I want you to push and pull the water like this.” Hanji took her bending stance, feet slightly apart and in front of each other. She extended her arms and rolled her shoulders back, moving her arms and her hands backwards. The water followed her motion back. She then moved her arms forward again and the water obliged her will. “Make sure you feel the push and the pull,” she stressed. Hanji dropped her arms and motioned for Eren to try. 

He mimicked her movements but the water would not quite move to his complete will. Eren stopped and closed his eyes. He extended his arms again and tried once more, desperately trying to feel the push and pull. Eren opened his eyes but was disappointed in seeing only his hands move. He looked at Hanji, wanting some direction to what he was doing wrong. “Hanji, I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. I keep trying to feel the push and pull but it’s not working.” 

Hanji hummed again in curiosity. “Try putting your hands in the water; feel the push and pull.” Eren obeyed and placed his hands in the water. “Concentrate. Once you master this technique, your skill will improve tremendously and I can begin to teach late beginners moves rather than basic beginner. Don’t get frustrated though, I was born a natural waterbender but it took me days to feel the push and pull. Remember that waterbending is the element of change. Think about your life recently and how it’s changed while you try to find it. If you have to do anything like this in earthbending, use it too. Using knowledge from the other elements can also help you become stronger.” Eren nodded and placed his hands in the water. He sent out his senses like he did in earthbending and tried to feel out the movements. He felt a small tug in one of his hands and soon in his other. He concentrated more, getting excited each time the tugs would make themselves known. He let his body take over his actions while concentrating on the water. He could feel the way the waves were moving in his hands; it felt like the waves rippling were under his skin: a part of him. He heard Hanji take a breath a surprise so he risked his concentration to open his eyes.  
Eren cracked one eye open and saw that his hands were moving just as Hanji had shown him and he was bending the water. The water had begun to rise up as Eren kept moving his arms back and forth. “Should I stop?” he asked nervously. 

“You can if you want but I want you to try to stop it on your own. I won’t tell you how.” Eren kept his eyes open but let his body take over once again. He slouched slightly and moved his arms in a wide circle and then spread them at the end of loop. The water mimicked his actions and smoothly returned to how it was before any intervention. Eren stood up straight and looked at his hands, then at Hanji. She had clasped her hands and was staring at Eren in fascination. 

“I don’t know how I did it,” he began to explain. “I had let my body take over control and it was like I already knew what to do. Sorry?”

“Sorry? Eren you should be ecstatic! You’re a waterbender now! Did you feel the push and pull in your hands when you moved the water? It feels like a pulsing right underneath your skin normally.” Eren nodded uneasily. “I don’t think you see the big picture. I estimated that in order to teach you and have you master waterbending would take at least five months and even then you would not have complete mastery. Mastering the elements takes years but in our situation we don’t have years. If you catch on this quickly however, it may only take you three months at most. That’s fantastic Eren!” Eren blushed at Hanji’s praising and grinned awkwardly while raising his arm to scratch the back of his head. “Let’s see what else you can do. Just try imitating my motions okay? We are going to try and move some water.” Hanji raised her arms and moved them in circular patterns, creating a bubble of water from the sea. As it levitated she continued to move her arms in the same fashion but moved the water towards Eren. He copied her stance of feet slightly apart and felt the vibes of the water. He started moving his hands the same way as Hanji had and when Hanji transferred the water to him, he managed to keep it afloat and moving. The bubble wavered and dropped in altitude many times but Eren managed to keep it in the air. Each effort was applauded by Hanji and Eren began to smile.

“Alright Eren! You are officially done for today but I’m going to expect you to be practicing in your spare time. Instead of earthbending, try to practice moving water. It doesn’t have to be far but I just want you to get a feel for the water. Do you want to go see Levi and Mikasa?”

Eren felt a blaze of warmth sear through him when Hanji mentioned Levi but Eren shoved those feelings aside. That would have to be sorted out later, preferably much later. “Sure,” he replied coolly, as if he was not just internally screaming over his reactions to seeing Levi.

As Hanji and Eren walked up the sandy hill to reach Mikasa and Levi, they were almost burned by a wave of intense red and blue fire. They quickly scrambled up the hill and behind a mound of sand. Mikasa and Levi were dueling and they seemed to be almost even. Levi would shout tips and pointers for each flaw he saw and Mikasa would immediately fix the error. Mikasa’s flames were now a definite blue while Levi’s were still red but that didn’t seem to matter. They were locked in close combat using their firebending. Mikasa advanced and followed through with a fistful of fire aimed at Levi’s head. He evaded the blast effortlessly by crouching close to the ground and aimed a quick punch without fire to Mikasa’s gut. She tried to dodge it but was still hit and she backpedaled for a moment. Levi shouted a word of advice while still dueling. 

“The key to winning a fight is to break their root. That means if you’re hit,” he ducked a hit and rolled off to the side to jump to his feet before continuing. He finished his thought as Mikasa charged at him.  
“Stay grounded. Being swift and nimble is a benefit too but if you trip, do whatever you need to get your root back.” Mikasa came charging with a fistful of fire but at the last second she crouched to the ground, evading a fire wave from Levi, and bended an arc of fire at Levi’s feet through her feet. Levi stumbled back but quickly jumped over Mikasa and attacked from above with three fire blasts. Mikasa stopped each blast with a shield of fire and Levi landed across from her and held up his hand, signaling for her to stop a moment. They both were breathing heavily but Levi still managed to humor Hanji. 

“Last time I checked I thought Eren was supposed to be learning waterbending, not watching me from behind a mound of sand. That’s weird as fuck Hanji.” Mikasa turned around, sweat gleaming from her forehead, and looked at Eren indifferently. Hanji took this as a moment to shine and leapt up from behind the sand mound.

“Oh but I am teaching Eren, Levi.” She quickly unbuttoned her water pouch perched around her hip and created a water whip. She threw it at Levi and he merely created a wall of fire. Hanji retracted the water to cover her arms and shouted to Eren. “Take note Eren! These are water arms and they help on the offense when it comes to attacking your opponent.” Levi smirked and decided to actually give Hanji a good fight. 

“Oi Mikasa,” Levi called. “Take note on this. Different benders call for different methods. Just watch and I’ll answer any of your questions later.” Mikasa nodded and sat down next to Eren behind the sand mound. Hanji charged at Levi and Levi charged at Hanji, water and fire ready to clash. The first thing Hanji did was freeze Levi’s feet together as he was running. He tripped and fell but waited until Hanji came to deliver the final blow before leaping onto his hands and blasting her with fire. Hanji expertly created a wall of ice from the water in the air in front of her. The ice broke and Hanji dove to her right just as Levi threw five fireballs. Hanji got up and glared at her opponent. She moved her arms quickly in circular motions before finally pushing her arms at Levi. The ground shook and a large wave of water from the sea behind them came charging in. Levi was pushed back and he fell into the water. Hanji stiffened her fingers and blew a path of ice to directly around Levi. 

“That’s the breath of ice Eren!” Hanji called. She then waved her hands once more and bended ice daggers, poised above Levi’s hunched over form. “And these are ice daggers.”

“This Mikasa, is the breath of fire,” Levi shouted. He then breathed out a roar of fire onto his icy confinements and they melted away easily. He stood up and raised his hands in surrender. Hanji began laughing madly and melted the ice daggers around Levi. “Listen Hanji, I’ve been dueling someone almost on par with me in fire all day. I’m exhausted so I’m giving you the win. Don’t let it go to your head.” Levi’s polite words were not heard by Hanji, as she was still cackling away. “OI, SHIT HEAD!” Levi shouted. This got Hanji’s attention and she stopped laughing momentarily, wiping at her eyes. “Shut the fuck up. You’re acting like you just took a nice long shit. It’s going to scare them,” he said while pointing to Mikasa and Eren. Hanji only laughed harder at Levi’s bluntness and fell to the ground. Levi sighed and walked back to Eren and Mikasa. “She can find her way back,” he said casually. “Let’s go.” 

They followed Levi back from the beach to their new home in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 15 (hopefully) Saturday. Thanks for reading, all the kudos, and commenting. Just tell me what you thought of the chapter and I'll do my best to reply to you!  
> Bother me on tumblr at: www.chibinico.tumblr.com  
> (Also don't forget, Dec. 9 is the OVA premier)


	15. A Light in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Ereri bonding! And Levi isn't being a complete asshole!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 15 already; this damn fic will be so long. I had a bit of writer's block on this chapter and honestly, I'm not 100% with it still but I've rewritten it too many times. I do sincerely hope you all like it and here ya go! Enjoy the chapter!

Eren woke with a start on the morning marking his first week of living with the Survey Corps. He sat straight up and looked around his shared room. The dresser and desk in his corner were as he left them the night before, messy and covered with clothes. Eren glanced around the room and set his eyes on the person sleeping on the other bed occupying the small room. Now that they determined he was the Avatar, the Survey Corps sent their strongest solider to share the room in order to protect him. This solider of course was none other than Levi. Levi continued to breathe normally so Eren deemed it safe to breathe out a sigh. He had learned the hard way that Levi had the ears of a bat. 

Eren slid a shaky hand over his face and tried to forget the horrible nightmare that plagued his dream. He was beginning to worry about his state of mind, especially since this was the fourth night in a row that he woke up due to a nightmare. He glanced at Levi one more time before silently throwing back his covers and walking to the door without making any noise. As he approached the door, Levi shifted in his sleep and Eren froze, his hand cautiously hovering over the doorknob. Levi continued to sleep normally so Eren opened the door and slipped out of the room. As Eren walked down the halls, he seriously debated going to talk to Armin. When Eren passed a window, he saw that the moon was still shining brightly and he predicted that it was around the early morning hours. Deciding not to wake up his friend, he went to the kitchen to get a drink of water. Eren knocked a glass over in the cabinet while trying to get a cup and silently cursed to himself. He went to the sink and poured a cup of the water while yawning and rubbing his eye. He raised the cup to his lips and prepared to taste the refreshing beverage on his lips. 

“What the hell are you doing up?” Eren nearly choked on his water as he spun around to see Levi leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, wearing only loose maroon shorts and an unfastened belt. Not trusting his voice, Eren raised the water to indicate why he had left his bed but Levi shook his head. “This is the fourth night in a row that you’ve woken up in the night to get a drink. Something’s bothering you.” Eren was about to fire a rude retort but he bit his lips and nodded his head in resignation. Levi sighed and gestured to the long table. Eren sat down and Levi pulled out a chair next to him. Levi fell into the chair with a small sigh and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Alright kid, spill. Why haven’t you been sleeping?”

“I keep getting these nightmares. It’s always the same dream and it really keeps scaring me. I try not to wake you up but you have the ears of a fucking bat and it’s just another thing I fucked up.” Eren began to ramble slightly but he let everything he had been feeling the past week out. “It’s like suddenly now that I’m the Avatar, everyone has to treat me better that the rest and I have to better the rest. I could barely hold my own on a fight against Oluo and that was my native element. I keep fucking up a lot of things and I don’t know, it’s like I just can’t do anything. I still have to learn and master three new elements as soon as possible and I’m not as fast a learner as I look. Waterbending is going well enough but I’m still at the basics and nowhere near ready to even try to use it in actual circumstances. These nightmares are a pain in the ass too. I keep seeing my mother and now Petra’s face and the others faces are always in my dream and they keep saying that I could have helped them because I’m the Avatar.” Eren paused to breathe and Levi interjected. 

“Kid, I can tell you right now that I am horrible at expressing myself kindly so I’ll try and do it the least offensive way. First off, nightmares are a common thing for everyone after you’ve lived through Titan attacks. For you, I’m guessing that you still have to accept the fact that you’re the Avatar. You also need to accept the fact that you started only a week ago. If you managed to learn and get the hang of waterbending in a week, I’d be damned. Anything in the past can’t haunt you for something you never even knew. When you accept these, the nightmares should stop and I should be able to actually get some fucking sleep. Do you know how loud you are at times?” Eren chuckled and sipped at the warming water. Levi tapped his hands on his table, ready to leave when Eren suddenly asked him a question that had been jumping around his mind.

“Do you have them? Nightmares, I mean. You said everyone had them so do you get them?” He wrung his hands after realizing that the question he just asked was probably too personal. To his surprise though, Levi answered him without hesitation. 

“All the time. I’ve learned to accept the deaths of Farlon and Isabelle and my squad. I know that they’re gone and even though I always want to put the blame on myself, I know that really there wasn’t anything I could do. I live out my time with them to the best so that I have no regrets. Even though they’re gone, each day I spent with them was the best I could make it.” Levi looked down at his folded hands and became very quiet. A heavy silence weighed down on the both of them as they were both in their own thoughts. Levi broke the silence after what seemed like an eternity and stood up. “I’m going back to bed now. See you in the morning, kid.” He carefully wiped the table where he sat of anything that might have fallen (Eren assumed it was out of habit) and walked over to the trash can to shake and wash his empty hands. Eren followed suit and placed his cup in the sink. The shorter man walked back to the room and Eren followed him quickly, not wanting to be alone anymore. 

-X-

Levi woke up again only four hours later, ready to get up and do his daily routine. After being with the Survey Corps for so long, his morning routine became very regular and militaristic. He sat up and stretched his muscles while stifling a yawn. He stood up and was immediately annoyed. Light snores were filling the air and prompted to Levi turn and find the source. It was actually Eren sleeping on his bed, a peaceful expression on his face. His eyebrows weren’t knit together like usual but they were relaxed. His mouth hung slightly open and his bottom lip gleamed with drool. Levi contorted his face in disgust as he saw the drool roll down Eren’s lip and drip onto his pillow. 

Levi shook his head and got back to getting ready for the day. He grabbed his clothes, a plain red V-neck and baggy sweatpants, then left the room to get in the shower. The hot water that he made warmer felt great against his skin. He scrubbed at his body to make sure the feeling of sleep left no traces. Happy with his vigorously scrubbed, reddening skin, he scrubbed his hair clean too. Levi turned off the shower and stepped out with a towel desperately clinging to his hips. He strolled over to the sinks and began brushing his teeth. After he was done, he changed into his clothes in record time and was drying off his hair when he walked back into his now shared room with Eren. The kid was still sleeping peacefully and Levi moved across the room to wake him. His hand hovered over Eren’s shoulder but he stopped when he saw that Eren’s expression was still peaceful. His mind drifted back to the conversation from the night before. If Eren was finally having a peaceful dream, he should let him enjoy it. Levi glanced at the clock on the wall. Its hands read 6:34 a.m. He retracted his hand and decided to let Eren to rest until seven. 

“The fuck am I going to do now?” Levi thought aloud. Hanji would be gone for a few days doing experiments on newly captured Titans near the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. That meant that Levi would be teaching a bunch of brats how to fight and he’d have no one to properly complain to. Feeling stressed, Levi began to make his bed and tidy up the room. He had just finished straightening up Eren’s horribly messy desk when the boy drawled his name out.

“Levi…,” he said tiredly. He yawned loudly and small tears welled up at the corners of his eyes. “What time is it? Also, what are you doing?”

“It’s a little past 6:45 in the morning and I’m cleaning up this pigsty you call a desk. It makes the room look so fucking dirty.” Eren nodded and spoke up again.

“Can I help at all?”

“I finished with the room for the most part but I think I’m going to clean the hallways and the kitchen. Feel free to join me but I have high standards and I won’t take any shit job,” he finished bluntly. Eren stared at him and nodded his head. 

“I’m going to shower and stuff so I’ll meet you in the kitchen. And is today the day Hanji won’t be here? She told me earlier in the week but I don’t remember exactly.” Eren stood up and began gathering clothes from the neat piles of clothes on his desk that Levi created. 

“Yeah today’s the day. Just because she’s not here though it doesn’t mean you don’t have lessons. I’m your teacher for today, so hurry the fuck up in the shower.” Eren nodded at Levi once again and mumbled on his way out about how Levi shouldn’t be a morning person. Levi ignored him and returned to his task of cleaning the small room. 

Once satisfied with the room, Levi turned and slipped on his red flats. They weren’t his favorite shoes to wear but they were great for firebending. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out top bottom drawer. In the drawer, he kept a collection of his cleaning necessities. He took out one large, white bandana and tied it around his head to keep his hair out of his face. He grabbed two cleaning rags and bottle of water then headed out. Down the hall, sounds of the running shower indicated that Eren wouldn’t take long. Levi quickly got to work cleaning the windows in the hallway using his own cleaning system. He would heat the water through the bottle then pour some onto the rag. After pouring it onto the rag, he would simply clean the window and wipe it dry with his other rag. The windows were soon sparkling and not a speck of dust would be found. When he deemed the hallway sufficient, he went into the kitchen. Before getting to cleaning, Levi prepared himself a cup of black tea. No tea shop in Ba Sing Se could ever make tea the way he did but only a handful came close. At the sound of footsteps, Levi turned around. Eren had found his way to the kitchen but his usually bright teal-greens were a bit muted that morning. 

“Do you want anything to eat or drink?”

Eren shook his head,” Just some water but I can get that myself.” To prove his point, Eren strode up to the cabinet and got another cup out. He filled it with water and drank it slowly. Eren raised his eyebrow at Levi as he watched him drink his tea. Levi held the teacup by its rim rather than the handle and sipped the tea carefully. “So,” Eren began after placing his empty cup on the countertop. “Any reason you drink like that?”

Levi suppressed a chuckle at Eren’s bluntness. “I don’t trust the handles of teacups. Holding it by the rim guarantees that if the cup drops, it’s completely your own fault.”  
Eren smirked at Levi. “I can tell that there’s more to the actual reason and you just aren’t telling me.” Levi groaned and glared softly at Eren. 

“You are so fucking annoying you know that? If you must know when I was younger, I finally got enough money to buy a tea set. I spent all my money on it and when I went to drink that tea, the handle broke and the cup shattered. I never got to enjoy that tea because of that shit passed off as a handle.” Levi paused to take another sip of his tea and he frowned slightly. The tea had gotten cold so Levi breathed fire onto the drink, heating it to the boiling point once again. 

Eren laughed at Levi’s choice of words and smiled. The regular mischievous glint took its place back in his eyes and he looked directly at Levi. “So are we still going to clean this place?” Levi looked around and truthfully didn’t find anything to really clean. The table looked like it could be dusted and there were a few things in the sink but other than that the kitchen was pretty much spotless. 

“Not now. We’ll definitely do it later, but for now it’s good. Are you ready?” Levi threw his head back and downed the rest of his black tea. He licked his lips and locked eyes with a very confused Avatar. 

“Ready for what?” Levi let out a loud sigh at Eren’s question and ran a hand threw his hair. Eren immediately went on the defensive. “It’s a legitimate question you know,” he snapped.

“Waterbending? Remember you have to train? God, I swear you’re such a brat sometimes.” Levi placed his teacup in the sink and turned to go out the backdoor. Eren ran after him, all the while arguing that he wasn’t a brat and demanding that Levi take his insult back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 16 tomorrow-in the late afternoon! 
> 
> UPDATING: my holiday break is coming up so I may post more frequently in chapters OR I'll take some prompts. I got an ask recently asking about writing some things outside the story line so I may start an side story for anything related to MBM. Prompts though don't have to be related to MBM at all-just no smut because I suck at writing smut so bad it's laughable. You can leave which option you favor- prompts or more chapters- below and if you have a prompt, leave it below too! 
> 
> Thanks to all my readers, to those who left kudos, and for commenting! Tell me what you thought about the chapter here or on my tumblr: chibinico


	16. My Firebending Teacher Teaches Me Waterbending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is going to train Eren in waterbending! Also twist ending that is a little headcanon of mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy! fluffy times are good times!

If Eren had to judge Levi on his skills of teaching, he would call him unique. Since Levi was merely filling in for Hanji’s place, he sat down and just watched Eren train. Hanji had instructed him to learn the water whip and perfect all the other beginner moves she showed him. While Eren performed each technique, Levi would either hum in approval or reprimand him and make Eren do it again until he deemed it perfect. Eren liked this method until he got around to learning the water whip. Then he hated this method. 

“Oi kid,” Levi grunted from where he was sitting. “You don’t know really how waterbending works do you?” Eren seriously considered smart mouthing Levi but he remembered that Levi was his friend but more importantly his teacher. He shook his head and Levi sighed and beckoned for him to sit next to him. “In earthbending, how are you supposed to be? What is your stance based on and how do you fight?”

Eren answered in a heartbeat. “In earthbending you are supposed to be one with the rock and face it head on. Your stance has to be firm and unmovable so basically very solid and straightforward like a rock itself. But what does that-“Eren was cut off his final thought by Levi. 

“Everything you just said, so you think it applies only to earthbending?”

“Well,” Eren racked his brain trying to see any connections between what he had said and waterbending. “Um yeah. It’s not the same in the other elements.”

Levi cracked a smirk and shook his head. “Wrong. That’s why you keep messing up with waterbending; you think of it as a very different element and therefore a very different style. You can actually enhance your waterbending by blending some techniques with earthbending. In waterbending, you fight by using your opponents strength against them; that involves movement which is opposite of earthbending. However, in waterbending you also need to be strong and determined which is the same in earthbending, am I right?” Eren nodded and knit his brows together. 

“So you’re saying that I should just keep my stance from earthbending and just modify it to work for waterbending and the other elements?” Levi nodded. “So if waterbending requires movement, I need to be lighter on my feet. I should be more on the balls of my feet then. But if I keep my earthbending stance, I also have a good defense too and I can fight with earthbending in a pinch if I have to!” Eren jumped up excitedly. Levi stood up along with him and nodded. 

“You see when you use your brain every once and a while, good things can happen,” Levi said sarcastically. 

“Oh whatever. And for your information, I do use my brain every single day thank you very much,” Eren replied starkly.

“Okay get into your stance then and show me your modifications.” Eren did as Levi instructed and got into his earthbending stance. Watching carefully at what he was doing, Eren closed his legs slightly and put his weight on the balls of feet. He opened his hands from fists and put them in front of him, his left partially in front of his right. “Good. Try the water whip now.” Eren looked at the little scroll that had the instructions Hanji had left for them. He followed the pictures and first bended water up from a small jug. He shifted his weight from on foot to the other and extended his arms. The water followed his movements and exerted a strong slap on itself. 

Eren smiled wide and looked at Levi. “Did you see that? I did the water whip!” Levi smirked and nodded at Eren. Eren decided to do all the moves Hanji had shown him again until he felt he had them mastered. He was in the middle of trying to master the water shield when Levi shouted.

“Shit!” Eren immediately dropped what he was doing and looked at his teacher for the day. He raised an eyebrow at Levi, prompting him to elaborate. “I forgot tonight’s music night. At least Hanji isn’t here.” 

“What’s wrong with music?” Eren asked innocently. 

“Nothing’s wrong with it. I actually really like it but Erwin always makes me play the tsungi horn while he plays the pipa. Hanji usually sings but she isn’t here so maybe I won’t have to play.” Levi ran a hand through his hair, a habit Eren guessed he did whenever he was irritated or tired. Eren tried to ignore the miniscule twitch of his chest as he stared at Levi. Suddenly Levi turned and faced Eren. “Do you play any instruments?” 

“No but I can fill Hanji’s place and sing a few songs my mother used to sing to me.” Eren widened his eyes when he processed what he was saying. He had never told anyone, let alone say aloud, that he sang fairly well. Levi raised an eyebrow at Eren but quickly regained his usual vacant expression. 

“You’ll have to sing for me sometime then. Don’t tell Hanji yet or she’ll lose her shit and make you sing for each month’s music night. On a side note, are you done moving water?” 

Eren glared lightly at Levi and snapped a response at him. “It’s called waterbending Levi and I’ve done everything Hanji told me to. Why?”

“I need to go to the market and pick up some groceries. You are going to carry the shit that I can’t so let’s get going before the place fills up with the townsfolk.” Levi abruptly stood up and began walking to the town. Eren stood in surprise before jogging to meet up with Levi. 

-X-

“How much for three cabbages?” Levi asked a merchant.

“That’ll be one silver piece please,” the merchant said smugly. 

“I’ll give you five copper pieces, take it or leave it.” The merchant shook his head firmly and repeated the price. “Fine, I didn’t even really need them in the first place.” Levi turned with Eren on his heel and began to walk away until the merchant called back to them. 

“Wait! I-I changed my mind. The price is five copper pieces now.” Levi grinned to himself quickly then turned to face the merchant with a startling glare. He handed over the money and took the cabbages. The master and student duo made their way down several booths selling an array of different foods and snacks from all over the four nations. Soon the market place was bustling with people and running children. 

“Tsc, Brat!” Eren tore his gaze from the bustling square and looked at Levi. “Time to go.” Eren said nothing and just followed Levi back to his newest home. On the way back, Levi noticed Eren’s silence and once again found himself trying to perk Eren up. “What’s wrong Kid?”

Eren glanced at Levi sadly before looking ahead at the dirt road they were walking on. “My hometown, Shiganshina, used to have a market place just like that one. I guess it just made me remember how I got to be here in this new town.” Levi racked his brain for something to say. He thought of something but he wasn’t quite sure whether or not to say it. His mouth had other ideas than his brain because before Levi understood what he was doing, he began to talk.

“Leave it in the past Kid. If you let the past pull you down and the next time you look back, it’s all going to be the same.” Eren turned to Levi and nodded solemnly. 

“You should know you give really good advice,” Eren said absentmindedly. Levi glanced at Eren, who was still facing ahead, and looked him over. His brown hair was unacceptably messy but the mess seemed to suit him. His tanner than most skin almost radiated in the sun and his arms and legs were toned but Levi could tell that Eren had more muscle than he looked. His eyes were foggy and distant but Levi could see the vibrant glow of life underneath the fogginess. Eren seemed contempt with Levi’s bit of advice as he carried the large papaya under one arm and a platypus-bear egg in the other. Levi carried the cabbages and the boxes of moon peaches and lychee nuts he noticed Mikasa and Armin seemed to really like. Personally he was more into fire flakes than lychee nuts but he got the nuts anyway. 

They reached the house soon enough but as soon as Levi stepped into the kitchen and placed down the groceries he carried, he was ambushed and tackled onto the floor by a heavy person. Levi had his hands pinned down on his chest and a familiar face filled his entire line of vision. “Get the fuck off me Hanji! What are you even doing here?” Hanji continued to lay on top of Levi while she replied happily. 

“I was doing my tests but I forgot something important here so I came back for it. Two important things first though. First off, Eren!” The boy snapped out of his surprise and looked at Hanji. “I found a new scroll for you. Erwin has it for safe-keeping but it’s filled with new moves to learn and master while I’m away. The last few are fairly hard but it shouldn’t be a problem for you. Secondly, it’s music night!” Hanji turned her head and focused her attention towards the struggling Levi under her. “You are going to be playing the tsungi horn again Levi! This time we have guests who have never heard your talents so Erwin already agreed with me on the matter. I don’t have a song ready though so it’ll be just you. What do say?”

Levi had stopped moving and he had one eye shut. Putting forth his best effort, he glared at Hanji as severely as he could with one open eye. “I say…get…off…me…right…now,” he wheezed out. Hanji realized that she was probably depriving Levi of air and she leaped off him. Levi sat up and coughed many times. Eren went to the kitchen and poured Levi a cup of water. Levi gladly accepted the water and downed the glass in moments. “Damn you Hanji!” He stood up and seethed silently. “Put the food away Kid. I’ll be in the room.” Levi stormed off to their shared bedroom and slammed the door. Hanji pouted as Levi left but didn’t try to stop him. Instead she turned to Eren.

“I have to leave soon but I need to see how well you’ve completed my instructions for today. I’ll help you put away the things then show me.” Eren nodded and began placing the food that he and Levi had bought in their respective places. He gave the papaya to Hanji who placed it in the pantry. She was humming a tune that Eren didn’t recognize but he didn’t ask. Soon though, Hanji began to full out sing as she pranced around the kitchen. The song she sang was short so she repeated the same lines until they were done putting away food. 

Finally Eren couldn’t help his curiosity. “What song is that Hanji?”

Hanji stopped singing and beamed at him. “It’s a song I learned from a nomad but I really like the message. The nomad called it ‘Love Is in Your Heart’ but I like to call it the ‘Love Song’”. Hanji began to sing the lyrics again but slower than before. 

“Even if you’re lost,  
You can’t lose the love because it’s in your heart.  
Oh oh oh oh.” 

Hanji smiled to herself and looked at Eren. “It’s a good saying to live by, huh?” Eren grinned and nodded. Hanji lost herself in her thoughts for a moment and her eyes saddened until she snapped out of it and practically began dragging Eren out the back door. “Time to show me what you can do!” At that moment, Hanji tripped out the door and began to fall, pulling Eren with her. Hanji managed to turn the floor into a thin layer of ice with frantic hand movements and she and Eren slid out of the house onto the yard. Hanji rolled onto her back and was laughing while Eren had rolled onto his chest and was swearing. Eren stood up and winced. “What’s wrong Eren?”

He waved off Hanji’s concern easily. “It’s nothing. I just landed kind of hard on my ribs and they were just stinging a little bit.” Eren stood up and took his newly modified stance. He began to do the water whip, the water shield, and couple other techniques Hanji taught him. When he finished, Hanji stood up and began applauding. 

“Eren! How did you learn that stance? It’s perfect for battle and both offense and defense.” 

Eren blushed awkwardly at all of Hanji’s praise and scratched the back of his head. “Um Levi helped me. He said that I should keep my earthbending stance and modify it to the other elements. That’s really all that I did.” 

“Well keep it up. I think I’ll add a couple of harder techniques to that scroll. You seem ready for them.” She glanced at the time through the door window and jumped up from where she sat. “Oh my goodness! I really need to go if I’m going to make it back in time. Bye Eren!” Hanji ran through the back door but soon stuck her head out again. “By the way Eren, be inventive with your waterbending. See what you can do and experiment! It helps you become a better master. Ok good bye!” Eren bid Hanji a farewell and walked back into the house. 

He walked down the hall to his room, ready to sleep from the day’s events. He hopes of sleep were extinguished when he heard a sound coming from his room. He grudgingly opened the door but was surprised by the sight before him. Levi was sitting on his bed with his back facing the door and he was playing the tsungi horn. The melody was sad and the way Levi rocked slowly back and forth told Eren that Levi didn’t notice his entrance yet. Eren smiled to himself and leaned on the doorframe while listening to Levi play his beautiful song. Eren stood at the doorframe for a good ten minutes before Levi ended his beautiful song and took a sip of tea in front of him. 

“That was incredible, Levi,” Eren said softly. Levi tried and failed at suppressing a jump. He whipped his head around and took in the sight of Eren leaning in the doorframe. Levi successfully managed to keep the blush from his face and he replied quickly to Eren’s compliment. 

“Thanks Kid. That’s the one I’m going to play tonight for you brats.” Levi chuckled when he saw Eren’s face drop when he called him and his friends brats. 

“Why do you do that? I gave you a nice compliment and then you call me a brat. Also, my name is Eren in case you forgot because you always call me Kid or Brat.” Eren crossed his arms across his chest and sauntered over to his own bed across from Levi. 

“I call you Kid and Brat because you are a kid and you can be a brat. I’ll say your name when I deem it fit.” Levi lifted the tsungi horn from his head and began wiping off his fingerprints and lip marks. Eren grumbled for a few minutes before speaking to Levi directly again. 

“Well until you call me by my name, I’ll call you…” Eren racked his brain for a name that Hanji once told him Levi hated. The name came to him and Eren grinned evilly. “I’ll call you Heichou.” Levi stopped what he was doing and glared at Eren. “It was Hanji who told me, Heichou.” Eren laughed as Levi began to cuss and angrily scrub at the already gleaming tsungi horn. “You play really well though and I’m being completely serious right now. Maybe when I sing for you, you play for me?” Levi considered Eren’s idea seriously and shrugged to himself. 

“Tch, sure whatever Brat. You look tired as shit by the way so go take a nap or something.” At Levi’s mention of the word nap, Eren’s eyelids became heavy. He yawned and laid down on his comfortable bed. Levi had been joking when he told Eren to go to sleep but to his surprise, the room was soon filled with Eren’s soft snores.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe 100% that Levi is highly skilled in playing the tsungi horn but he always acts like a little shit who doesn't want to play. 
> 
> Chapter 17 on Saturday! Leave your thoughts below!!!
> 
> Thanks to all my readers, for leaving kudos, and leaving awesome comments! You guys are seriously the best!!! :P


	17. Fights by the Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's music night and Levi will play his tsungi horn! Also, nothing gets the blood pumping like a fight by the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Ho! You all thought I was going to post this on Saturday but no, I lied to make this a happy surprise. I am now on break so I may do surprise updates-they are my gifts to you for the holidays! 1600 hits? How did this even happen? Thank you to everyone who made this fic reach 1600, you keep me going! Enjoy this light, funny chapter and to those taking finals- good luck! Here we go!!

            Later in the evening, Levi grudgingly walked into the kitchen with his tsungi horn and sat down on a stool facing Erwin and the new brats living here. He raised the horn to his lips and began to play. Levi blew in the horn gently, creating a low note. Before he knew it, Levi was playing his favorite songs his mother would play for him before she left. Thinking of his childhood made Levi angry so the tune he was playing became rapid and harsh. Levi knit his brows in concentration, letting all his emotions blend together with the resonances of the tsungi horn. His short fused anger wore off and the melody was brought back to being slow paced and gentle.

            The faces of Eren, Armin, Sasha, and Connie were priceless. They each were gaping at him but Eren seemed to recover before the rest and plastered a large shit eating grin on his face. Mikasa had widened her eyes at first but her face was once again expressionless and she swayed side to side in rhythm to Levi’s song. Soon Levi grew bored and played whatever came to mind. He lost himself in the music and played to his heart’s content. Eventually, Levi played slower and slower until the music died out and he raised his lips from the horn. Everyone in the kitchen stood up and gave him praises.

            Connie and Sasha came up to Levi and tried to hug him but Levi promptly stuck his hands out, keeping them at bay. Erwin snuck up behind him and slapped him on the back. “Good job Levi!” Erwin turned and addressed everyone. “Alright. Everyone get to bed because we will be training tomorrow.” The small crowd dispersed at Erwin’s order. Levi shined his tsungi horn until it gleamed before making his way back to the room. Upon entering the room, Levi was greeted by the sight of Eren sleeping once again.

            “Is the damn kid ever awake?” Levi whispered to himself. He crossed the room briskly and placed the tsungi horn back in its respective place. He collapsed on his bed, suddenly tired. He hoped that sleep would grant him no nightmares for the night. For once, he hopes were met and Levi slipped into a dreamless sleep.

-X-

            Eren woke in the morning to a firm hand shaking his shoulder. He shot up and glared at the offender as intensely as he could. When he saw it was Mikasa, he widened his eyes and raised an eyebrow. “Mikasa, what are you doing here?”

            “I came to wake you up. Levi already left, he said it was something about an urgent meeting with Erwin. Hanji still isn’t back so it’s just you, me, Sasha, Connie, and Armin. We were going to basically just hang out all day and maybe spar a little on the rocks near the beach. Do you want to come with us?” She smiled at him hopefully and Eren shrugged his shoulders.

            “Sure! I need practice actually fighting with waterbending.” Mikasa flashed Eren a small but bright smile before returning her face back to its usual impassiveness. She stood up to leave the room so Eren could get dressed.

            “I’ll be in the kitchen eating with Armin if you need me.” On that note, Mikasa closed the door and Eren had the room to himself. He didn’t bother with a shower since he would get sweaty again later. Instead, he tossed on this usual outfit but decided not to wear his white sleeveless shirt under his tunic. He had serious bedhead but Eren just shook his hair and ran a hand through his messy bangs. He went to the bathrooms to brush his teeth then he walked out to the kitchen to join Mikasa and Armin. Sasha and Connie were also there but they were busy getting food from the pantry. Eren walked hesitantly to the pantry and narrowly avoided Sasha’s quick moving hands as she grabbed almost one of everything for her and Connie to eat. He managed to grab a moon peach and a mango before accidentally getting slapped in the face by Sasha’s hand. Mikasa breathed in sharply as she her the sound of skin hitting skin.

            “Eren! I’m so sorry! It was the food again,” Sasha wailed. “I’ve been betrayed by food _again_!” Sasha began to sniffle but she refused to let any tears flow. Connie crept behind her and covered her eyes while whispering in her ear. He grinned as he stopped whispering and Sasha shrieked in fits of laughter. Her mood was instantly back up in a heartbeat and she threw Connie’s hands from her eyes and whispered excitedly back in his ear. They both erupted in laughter and the other three young adults in the room looked at each other, clearly confused. Armin cleared his throat and got everyone’s attention.

            “So um, do you guys want to go to the rocks now?” They all nodded and began cleaning up after their breakfast. “I’ll leave a note in case Erwin and Levi come back so they know where we are.” In less than ten minutes, the whole lot was ready to go. Eren figured that even though they cleaned the kitchen up pretty nicely, Levi was going to call it filthy and make them re-clean it later.

            The trip to the rocks was relatively short and once they arrived, Armin divided them all into teams. “Eren and Sasha against Connie and Mikasa! I’ll be the referee so a nice clean fight please.” They all laughed at Armin’s choice of words and met their respective partner. “As for the rules, no lightning, bloodbending, earthbending for Eren, and no gliders for Connie.” Connie and Eren began to protest but were quickly silenced by a playful smack of wind from Armin. Connie sulked back to Mikasa and Eren to Sasha. Each team came up with a battle plan and then they faced each other in their stances.

            “Hey Eren! I bet you won’t be able to do jack-shit without your earthbending,” Connie taunted.

            Sasha quickly came up with a response and fired away at Connie. “Connie you can’t even do anything without your glider so I don’t see why you’re being such a smart ass.” Sasha high-fived Eren and smirked at her own comeback.

            “Okay, begin at one. FIVE!” Armin began the countdown to their battle.

            “Mikasa,” Eren shouted.

            “FOUR!”

            “I’m not going to hold back!” Eren smirked at his sister but was slightly confused when she grinned at him.

            “THREE!”

            “I won’t either Eren but you see, I have enough skills that I actually _can_ hold back.”

            “TWO!”

            Eren stared dumbfounded at his sister and fully realized with a jolt truly how little waterbending he had learned. Mikasa laughed with a dark undertone and pulled her red scarf tightly around her neck.

            “ONE! FIGHT!” As was according to Eren and Sasha’s plan, Sasha messed up Connie and Mikasa by shifting the ground above their feet. They both fell to the ground but Mikasa was fast and quickly stood up. Eren bended water out of a pouch that Hanji had gave him before she left and tried to grip onto Mikasa’s arm. The water line was slightly shaking and Mikasa used that to her advantage. She feigned hurt and Eren loosened the water’s grip. Luckily, that was exactly what she wanted to happen and with ease, she brought a burst of fire to her other freed arm and sliced through the water’s grip. Eren cussed and charged at Mikasa while Sasha took care of Connie. Eren bended the water in front of him to form a shield as Mikasa came at him with a blast of fire. The water steamed as some of it evaporated and Eren quickly moved his arms from in front of him, to a circular motion before thrusting them out in front of Mikasa. The water obliged and gathered force as it circled Eren before it hit Mikasa. She tried to dodge the blast but was knocked back to the ground.

            Meanwhile on the other side of the rocks, Sasha and Connie were going full out on each other. Connie was leaping from each rock Sasha threw at him and knocked her down several times with an air blast from his feet. Each time Sasha felt where Connie would land, she would immediately react but Connie would wait until the ground rose up until he jumped, making Sasha lose her focus for a moment. Eren and Sasha’s team was not looking great until Sasha planted a miracle move on Connie. Connie began to run towards Sasha and she used the last trick in her arsenal. As Connie ran toward her, Sasha turned the entire area into a quicksand, sinking Connie into the ground. He let out a yelp of surprise as the ground swallowed him up to his neck. Once his head was level with the earth, Sasha contracted her fingers and the quicksand hardened into earth.

            “Sasha? When did you even learn this?” Connie demanded from the hole he was in. Sasha just laughed at Connie and bounded over to help Eren defeat Mikasa.

            As Sasha finished up her duel with Connie, Eren remembered three important pieces of advice just as a drenched Mikasa began to stand up. Eren remembered first what Oluo had basically engraved into his mind: always sense the earth, even if you can see your opponent, sensing the ground will help you fight them. The second piece came from Levi: apply what you learned in earthbending to the other elements to strengthen your bending. The last was a tidbit from Hanji from the other day: experimenting with a new element always help you learn more techniques. Eren sent out his senses to the earth and was very happy that he did. He felt Mikasa shift her weight onto one leg as she prepared to do a blazing arc of fire with her leg. Just as quickly as he could, Eren stepped out of her immediate range and tried to take control of her wet garments. Mikasa, too late to stop, blasted an arc of fire to where Eren had stood a moment before and quickly tried to turn and face him. Eren however, finally got control of the water in Mikasa’s clothes. He decided to try and freeze the water but he wasn’t exactly sure how. Luckily Sasha had come dashing over, bended up a rock with her foot, vaulted into air, and threw the rock at Mikasa.

The rock flew down and flew through Mikasa’s wall shield of fire. She ducked and narrowly evaded the rock but kept her eyes on Sasha. Sasha thrust her hands above her as she landed, her bangs flapping wildly. A column of earth erected itself out of the earth and Sasha landed on a roll. Mikasa shot blast after blast of fire but Sasha just raised her right arm and an earth shield formed. After the last volley of fire blasts came, Sasha lowered the shield and her right arm. She began to fight Mikasa from above with rocks coming down to meet each blast of fire.

            Eren shook his head in awe as he saw Mikasa and Sasha fight each other. They weren’t close to being near each other in skill but Sasha was smart enough to come up with a plan to converse and grow her own energy while simultaneously dragging out Mikasa’s strength. After marveling in the battle, Eren snapped out of it. He needed to come up with a way of freezing the water. He racked his brain for any ideas and finally one came to him. He turned and ran to where Mikasa was. Eren pushed his hands out in front of him and connected to the water in Mikasa’s clothes. He closed his eyes to feel where all the drops of water where on her and grinned when he realized that her skin was soaked as well. Eren brought his hands to his face and cupped his mouth. He blew out as much cold air as he could and the water along Mikasa’s body began to freeze much to his surprise. Mikasa looked down at her body to find the water freezing her legs and torso. Immediately she started to heat her hands and feet but she was a second too late as the ice encased her arms where they were extended and continued up to her neck. Eren stopped the ice at her neck and looked at Armin smugly.

            “STOP!” Armin cried. “Eren and Sasha are the winners here today!” Eren ran up to Sasha and gave her hug.

            “Sasha that was incredible! You have got to show me some of your techniques.” Sasha grinned and slapped Eren on the back.

            “Anytime Eren! Just be sure to show me some of the one’s Master Oluo showed you. I want to try and improve as much as I can.” Eren nodded and turned to Mikasa and Connie. He went to Mikasa first and opened his closed fist. The ice instantly turned back into water and re-soaked Mikasa. She beamed at Eren happily.

            “Did Hanji teach you that move?” Mikasa asked curiously.

            “No I just did it now. I was experimenting around.” Eren couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride in his win. Mikasa gave him a warm hug and congratulated him on learning waterbending so fast.

            Sasha got down from her pillar of earth and walked over to Connie. She held his head in each of her hands and stomped on the ground.  Connie shot up from the ground and began to move his arms around.

            “That wasn’t fun being stuck in a hole Sasha,” Connie claimed angrily as Sasha was busy wiping tears from her eyes from laughing so hard at his expression.

            “Oi, brats!” They all froze where they stood and looked behind them. Levi stood with his usual vacant expression but something was different in his tone of voice. “Nice fighting skills but you need to come back to the house. Erwin and I have to tell you guys some things that we learned from our meeting today.” He promptly turned at his heel and walked back down the path they all used to get to the rocks. As Levi turned, Eren understood what was different about Levi’s voice. It was serious. Eren had heard Levi sound stern and serious but it was always accompanied by sarcasm. Now, it was just serious without any deadpanned jokes. Eren knew at once that something really wrong had happened and he and the others rushed to follow their leader out to the rocky area.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahahaha!! Maybe my intentions weren't so happy and carefree with that cliffhanger. Chapter 18 will seriously be out on Saturday. 
> 
> Thank you to all my readers, those who leave comments, and all the kudos- I appreciate them more than you know. Speaking of comments, leave on below and tell me what you think about this chapter or about how the story is going in general! 
> 
> Hit me up on tumblr at: 'chibinico' I also track the tag: 'fic: my bending master' so feel free to leave comments and stuff there too!
> 
> On a side note, I finally got the hang of proper format on here! And it only took 2 fics, and 16 chapters to do it :P


	18. The Survey Corps Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally learn somewhat the endgame, bottom line plan for humanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry but this is a bit of a short chapter. I had writer's block so I'm still not 100% on board with it but...  
> Enjoy!

 

On the way back to the house, Eren jogged ahead of the others to talk to Levi. “So Heichou, can I have an idea of what’s going on?”

            “Don’t tell the others just yet but the Titans have been causing a lot of shit in the other nations. The air nomads are getting the worst of the attacks and their population is shrinking. If we lose the airbenders, the entire world will be out of balance that even the Avatar couldn’t restore. The way Erwin and I see it, this is the final stretch. Most likely in one year’s time, either the Titans will be destroyed or it’ll be the end of humanity.” Levi gritted his teeth and trudged ahead. Eren glanced back at his carefree friends before grabbing Levi’s wrist. Eren felt his stomach do another miniscule flip flop and Levi glared at him. He immediately released Levi’s wrist but hissed a question to him without seeming too distressed.

            “How am I supposed to learn and master all the elements in one year?”

            “I’ll explain the rest when we get back to headquarters which should be in like two minutes. Just go back with the rest of the brats and pretend that you haven’t heard anything.” Levi didn’t watch him go but he heard a rise of obnoxious laughter coming from the group of brats behind him and for what seemed like the hundredth time, he questioned why these brats were now officially his squad. Levi could feel adrenaline coursing throughout his body. He cursed silently at himself for allowing Eren’s touch to make his heart beat three times faster. He pushed thoughts of Eren to the back of his mind; there were actual matters to attend to.

            Two minutes later, Levi, his squad, and Eren were walking into the kitchen to meet with Erwin. They all sat down at the table and Erwin began to speak. “Listen up! Earlier this morning, Levi and I attended a meeting for the White Lotus officers. At the meeting, some pretty disturbing things have been reported. First off, I believe that this is the final stretch between humans and Titans. The Titans have been expanding where they target. Instead of primarily the Earth Kingdom, they have begun to attack the Air Nation. The airbender population cannot go extinct but if the attacks continue, it is a serious possibility.” At this, everyone except for Levi and Eren gasped. Erwin continued his grim speech. “I sent word to Hanji so she will be back tomorrow Eren to resume your training.” Eren nodded and allowed Erwin to continue. “If this is the final stretch, everyone must be in tip top shape so everyone will be training much more extensively.” Eren finally blurted out the question that had been occupying his mind.

            “How am I supposed to learn and master three elements in this amount of time?” Erwin looked at Eren with stern eyes.

            “Determination and a lot of endurance. This’ll be especially hard on you Eren but you are the Avatar, the world’s last hope.”

            “But I’m only seventeen.” Eren became very frustrated. “I can’t just learn all of this and-“Eren was cut off by Mikasa who had wrapped her hand around his.

            “Eren. No one expects that from you. All they are saying is that your lessons are going to be faster and harder. All you need to keep doing is being a symbol of hope for others and you just need to be focused. You’re already focused so just worry about practicing what you learn.” Despite Mikasa’s impassive look, her voice was soft and gentle. Eren immediately felt bad and calmed down. Levi piped up from his chair.

            “You guys are in better shape than I thought you to be anyway; I watched most of your sparring battle and was surprised. I can teach you little things to improve on but for the most part you’re good.” Levi picked up a cup of tea he had gotten while Erwin was talking and took a sip. He finished his tea and stood from the table. “Okay meeting dismissed. Kid, come with me; you have to finish learning that scroll Hanji sent you.” Eren sighed at the fact that Levi still wouldn’t use his name but said good-bye to his friends and went to follow him. Eren subconsciously raked his eyes over the older man’s body from behind. Levi had muscles everywhere yet his arms and body still looked so slender and delicate. He began to imagine those arms tensing and flexing their soft muscles and Eren shook his head. He couldn’t allow such things to be in his head, not now at least.

            Eren stood up to leave but his wrist was once again grabbed by Mikasa. She looked him straight in the eyes with a gaze of seriousness. “We need to talk later; don’t forget. It’s important.” Eren nodded and Mikasa let go of his wrist.

            “Oi, Kid!” Levi shouted and he sped off to where Levi was waiting impatiently.

-X-

            Eren drudged up the stairs, exhausted from his training with Levi. He was about to go into his room and fall sleep for the night when he remembered that Mikasa wanted to talk. Reluctantly, Eren walked down the hall to his sister’s quarters. He knocked softly and received a soft “Come in” from Mikasa. He pushed her door open and was only slightly shocked that Armin was also there, on her bed.

            “Hey guys,” Armin and Mikasa both looked up, happily surprised. Eren walked over and joined them on the bed. He gave Mikasa a quick peck on the cheek before the conversation began.

            “So what do you guys think of Survey Corps?” Armin answered first.

            “I like it. I mean it’s great and all that we get to learn from the best of the best but most of them are nice.” Mikasa answered.

            “Well technically I’m not in the Survey Corps because I’m the Avatar,” Eren said cheekily. Mikasa swatted at his arm playfully and Eren resumed. “No but I love the people here too. Levi can be difficult but he’s really a great guy underneath his demeanor.” Both Mikasa and Armin quirked an eyebrow at Eren and he scrambled to find the right words to explain his point. “W-well like, usually whenever I’m mad I tend to vent out my anger and yell. But with Levi it’s like I can just vent to him and then he gives a really good piece of advice and then I kind of feel like I was acting like a little shit. I know that he’s superior to me in more ways than one but he still recognizes that I’m still a kid at times and that I need help figuring all this Avatar stuff out.” Eren ended talking about Levi with a goofy smile on his face and he quickly shook it off. Eren scolded himself mentally and his cheeks reddened. Armin raked his intelligent blue eyes all over Eren and then settled them on Eren’s eyes. They stared at each other, having a silent conversation, but Eren looked away blushing more and Armin smirked.

            “Speaking of your Avatar duties,” Armin started. “How’s waterbending going?” Eren threw his body onto the soft bed while tossing an arm over his eyes and groaning loudly. “Is it that bad?” Armin asked.

            “No, it’s just really long. All my Avatar training takes precedent over other things so I train basically all day, every day now after what Erwin said this morning.” Armin and Mikasa expressed hums of understanding and the three fell silent for a moment. The moment was interrupted when Armin spoke to Eren.

            “Eren, have you ever heard of the Avatar State?” Eren turned his head and looked at his best friend.

            “No, what is it?” Armin knitted his eyebrows together briefly as shock crossed his face. “Should I know about it since I’m the Avatar?”

            “Eren, the Avatar State is when your eyes glow and you get all this amazing power. I don’t know much more than that but it’s a really powerful tool that only the Avatar has access to. Ask Commander Erwin sometime; I’m sure he’ll know about it.” Eren nodded and glanced at Mikasa who had a far-away look in her eyes.

            “Hey Mika, what’s going on?” Mikasa turned her head and glared at Eren for using the nickname she hated. Eren grinned and she released an exasperated sigh.

            “I’m just worried. I mean who knows when the Titans are going to find this town and attack it but at the same time, I would rather they hit here than wipe out the air nomads.” Mikasa lit one of her fingertips with a small tongue of dancing fire and twirled her fingers. “I want us to be safe but our safety would cost others their lives. It’s just not fair but the world is cruel for making it this way.” She tugged up her red scarf and rolled to face away from Eren and Armin. Eren looked to Armin for some signal of what to do. Armin shrugged his shoulders and gave Eren an accusing look that said ‘how should I know, she’s your sister’.

            Eren rubbed his sister’s shoulder gently and spoke softly. “We’ll be fine as long as we trust in the Survey Corps. They know what to do and they’ll keep us safe. They’ll keep everyone safe.” Eren’s calmness instantly let sleep take over his body and he felt his eyelids getting ridiculously heavy. He yawned until small beads of water popped out the corners of his teal-green eyes and he looked blearily at Armin and Mikasa. “I’m going to,” Eren tried but failed to stifle a yawn. “I’m going to… go to bed now. Good…night” He leaned over and pressed his lips to Mikasa’s forehead and gave Armin a hug. Then Eren stood and made his way to the door.

            “Good night Eren!” Both Mikasa and Armin declared. Eren waved to them as he walked away and was immediately hit by a pang of déjá vu. As he opened his door, he saw why what he did was very familiar. The reason was currently curled up on his bed sleeping with the lights on, having forgotten to turn them off.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 19 tomorrow and I promise it will be better with Ereri-interaction!  
> Thanks for comments/kudos/and reading. Tell me what you thought below or on my tumblr: 'chibinico'


	19. Happy Birthday!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month of idle time passes and Levi and Eren find themselves panicking on a very important day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TIME JUMPS!! We now have skipped about a month in advance. This chapter was a lot of fun to write so enjoy!!!

            “Oi Kid. Wake up dammit.” Eren woke to vigorous shaking from his older roommate.

            Eren glared with full intensity at Levi and swatted his hands away. “What the fuck Levi? I was sleeping!”

            “What day is it?”

            Eren looked at Levi in disbelief. He was just shaken awake to tell Levi what the date was. “It’s September 5th. Why is that important?”

            “Shit!” Levi got off Eren’s bed and paced the room quickly.

            “Heichou, what’s wrong?”

            “Today’s Hanji’s birthday and I don’t have anything for her. I knew it was coming up but I still thought I had some time. This isn’t good.” Eren widened his eyes and grinned maliciously. Levi stopped from his pacing as he saw Eren’s mood flip. “Why are you grinning like an idiot?”

            “I just thought of something! Why don’t we throw her a surprise party! I can keep her occupied with training all day long while you and some others go out and get all the stuff needed. She’ll totally think we remembered and be touched that you threw her a party to begin with. How old is she turning?”

            “She’s turning 29 and that’s actually not a bad idea. There’s only one problem, I don’t know how to do this shit,” Levi mumbled.

            “I can go with you if you want?” Eren replied happily.

            “But if you go with me, who’s going to watch and keep Hanji busy?”

            “I can get Sasha and Connie to keep her distracted. Mikasa and Armin can help us decorate. In the worst case, we can ask Erwin to send her on a mission or something, right?” Levi shrugged his shoulders and stepped toward Eren.

            “Get dressed. We leave as soon as you’re ready,” he declared.

            “I was going to shower and stuff. What about you?”

            “I’ll take a quick shower but the sooner we can get started on the shopping and stuff, the better.” Levi raced to his closet and picked out a simple baggy red and brown outfit. He grabbed his towel and sped out of the room. With Levi gone, Eren sunk back in his bed and tried not to get overly excited. He was going to go out with Levi- not as date, but as shopping. He found it rather adorable how Levi had no clue when it came to his friends. Eren could feel the blush creeping to his cheeks and he smiled to himself.

            “Oi! Get the fuck out of bed!” Eren jerked his head up and saw Levi standing in the doorway with a hand on his hip. “I didn’t get in the shower yet because I thought you were still in bed and apparently I was right. Let’s go!” Levi snapped his fingers repeatedly until Eren growled and got out from underneath his warm blankets.

            “I’m coming already!” With a huff, Levi walked away to the bathroom once again. Eren halfheartedly shrugged off his shirt and grabbed a random sleeveless white shirt, green pants, and a towel before he headed down the hall to the bathroom. He entered a shower and scrubbed his skin and face quickly. As he started to scrub his hair clean, a shower stall a few stalls down from his shut its water off. Eren paid no mind as he smiled contently while he washed off all the soap from his body. A few minutes later, Eren turned off his water and wrapped a towel around his waist before stepping out. When he shook his wet hair out of his eyes, a glorious sight was laid in front of him. Levi was drying out his hair with his back to Eren and his towel was desperately clinging to his waist. Eren could feel the heat rise to all of his face and he swore he felt his dick twitch. Levi finished toweling off his hair and he gave it a shake to let the strands fall into their proper place. He slipped on his red shirt and grasped his falling towel, ready to leave the bathroom. Eren realized he was still staring and blushing at Levi so he turned around and began to towel dry his own hair, hoping that Levi would just leave and not ask him something.

            Levi turned around and saw Eren with his back to him, towel drying his hair aggressively. Levi tried to suppress his laughter but a snort still managed to make itself known. Levi gave in to his laughter and nearly doubled over with deep laughs that sounded like velvet to Eren’s ears. “What’s your problem, Kid?” Levi said in between laughs.

            Eren’s face was beet red when he turned around. “What do you mean?”

            “Why the hell are you so pissed? No one towel dries their hair with that much aggression.”

            Eren stammered a response but it was no use. “I-I’m not anger. I mean I’m not angry.” He turned his face around from Levi’s small laughing figure but he could feel the tips of his ears go red.

            “ _Sure_ you aren’t. Just hurry up and get ready; I want to leave in fifteen minutes.” Levi left the bathroom still chuckling and once in the comfort of his room, he threw his towel onto the bed and slipped on his underwear. He then slid into his most comfortable brown pants and black boots. Three small peppy knocks at the door indicated that Eren was waiting to come in. Levi strode to the door and jerked it open. Eren was standing with his hair still dripping in places, against the doorway.

            “I’m all ready,” he muttered. Levi suppressed another snort and looked at Eren wearily.

            “How much is this going to cost us?”

            “Us?” Eren looked at Levi quizzically.

            “Yes. She’s you’re mentor too so you’re going to help pay.” Eren shrugged his shoulders at Levi’s reasoning and thought hard for a moment.

            “I would say,” Eren knitted his eyebrows in concentration and Levi smirked before quickly wiping any emotion from his face. “Yes, I think you should bring about forty gold pieces. I’ll bring forty as well.”

            Levi widened his eyes when he heard Eren. “What the hell? Kid, that’s eighty gold pieces. You bring twenty gold and I’ll bring the forty gold.” Eren tried to protest Levi’s orders but was quickly shot down. “I’m older than you so I have more money than you. Don’t forget Brat, I’m fucking fantastic when it comes to getting what I want.”

-X-

            “Isn’t there anyway? Please?” Eren pleaded with the store owner.

            “I’m sorry,” the owner said. “We can’t just drop all our other orders to make this cake for you. I can give you a free box of pastries and a bag of cake mix if you’d like for your troubles?”

            Levi groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just take his offer Kid. We’ve been everywhere else already.” Eren nodded and accepted the owner’s offer. The owner went into the kitchen to get the food and mix while Eren crossed the little wooden shop to where Levi was sitting. “What else on that damn list you made say we need?”

            Eren proudly took out his list and made a show of opening it. He let out a chuckle at hearing Levi’s soft groan. “I think to make this party legit, we need: fireworks, cake, lots of decorations, food, party hats, stuff that’ll remind her of the Water Tribe, and presents.”

            “Okay if this is going to be done in time, we’ll need to split up,” Levi declared. Eren pouted at Levi’s orders and nudged his arm.

            “Do we have to? I like shopping with you!” Realizing what he said, Eren’s face turned red as he tried to backtrack rapidly. “No, no, no, no, no, no. I meant that I like to shop with you because, um, you get great deals!”

            “I get great deals?” Levi quirked an eyebrow at Eren’s blushing face. As Eren stammered for words, Levi cut him off while laughing internally. “Oi listen up. I have to bake that cake for her since the people here won’t do it and I’ll need time to do that. I’ll leave you in charge of getting the decorations and other stuff. Before we split though, I’m going to get my present to her and the other food. I say you get her present now too and I’ll bring it back to the house for you.”

            “Okay!” Eren replied happily.

            “Who knows, maybe I can get you a good deal.” Levi laughed darkly at Eren’s expression of shock, anger, and embarrassment. As the store owner emerged from the kitchen, Levi stood to go collect their free items.

            “Sorry for any inconvenience, sir. Have a good day!” The owner called cheerily.

            “Thank you and you too,” Eren called as he trailed behind Levi. The door to the shop closed behind them and they began to walk towards the next shop. It was a store for glasses and Levi went straight to the back corner where they sold goggle like glasses- the type that Hanji liked to wear. The store was very cozy with the walls painted shades of white and black. There were many mirrors in the store but not too many that you couldn’t see anything except your reflection.

            “Oi Kid!” Eren stopped admiring the store and turned to Levi. “Do you think these look like the goggles that she has right now?” The googles Levi held in his hand were a beautiful dark brown with a silver rim right around where the glass met the frame; the straps were a tannish beige color.

            “They look even better than the ones she has now but why are you getting glasses?”

            “Hanji’s been complaining to me about the goggles she has now and how the lens shake whenever she’s in battle or doing experiments. This solves her problem and shuts her up.” Levi walked around a case display as he spoke, looking for a gray case to put the goggles in. He settled on a dark grey case and walked to the cashier.

            “Is this all for today?” The cashier asked politely. Levi nodded and the cashier prepared him a receipt. “That’ll be thirty-five gold pieces for the glasses and ten gold pieces for the case.” Levi dutifully reached into his pocket and pulled out the thirty-five gold pieces for the goggles.

            “Why is the case so expensive?”

            “This case is made from quality artic seal skin and comes included with the finest quality cloth for lens cleaning.”

            “Funny I went to a different store and they told me same thing. The only difference was that the price there was only five gold pieces.” Levi glared at the cashier and the cashier swallowed nervously.

            “I, um, I can lower the price to give you a better deal? How about four gold pieces then.” Slowly regaining their composure the cashier spoke more. “Our store is the best store to come for glasses, goggles, and cases. If you see any store with a lower price than ours, we’ll lower it for you.”

            “I can do four.” Levi said smoothly. He dug out the rest of his gold pieces except for one and handed them to the cashier’s outstretched hand. “Thank you very much,” he said in a monotone as the cashier gave him the googles and case.

            As they left the store, Eren piped up. “That was impressive. The cashier guy almost pissed his pants when you glared at him. And what store did you see that deal?”

            “I didn’t,” Levi answered simply. Eren stopped walking and stared at Levi, mouth slightly open. “I told you I always get what I want when it comes to shopping.”

            “But-“

            “Don’t tell Erwin. He’ll probably reprimand me again but I hate when he does that so just don’t tell him, okay?” Eren blushed again and nodded.  “What the hell is your problem?”

            “Nothing. Why?”

            “I know you’re lying. Mikasa told me that when you lie, your ears turn red.” Eren widened his eyes and swore under his breath. Levi chuckled at Eren’s redness while they walked and Eren shot him a glare.

            “Shut the fuck up, Heichou.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EEK! The birthday party shall come next chapter!!! Chapter 20 Saturday!!!!!!! Tell me what you thought below or on my tumblr: 'chibinico'  
> Thanks for all the kudos, comments, and hits!!


	20. Surprise Parties at the Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanji's awesome birthday party is thrown and everyone has a good time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a great time writing this chapter out. ERERI FLUFF IS THE CUTEST THING EVER!! That's why Eren being a little shit who loses his confidence is an absolute must. Enjoy the party!

  

            “Heichou, do you think Hanji will like this?” Eren hoisted up a bright blue necklace with the symbol of the Water Tribe.

            Levi glanced up and looked at the intricate carving. “Yeah she’ll like it. Let’s go pay.” He strode to the cashier and Eren scrambled behind him to catch up. “We’d like to purchase this necklace,” he said in an exasperated tone to the annoyingly cheery cashier.

            “Sure thing! That’ll be ten gold pieces and five copper pieces please!” Levi dipped his hand into his pocket to take out the proper amount of money but Eren grabbed his wrist.

            “No Heichou, I’ll pay for it. It’s my gift after all.” Eren dug into his own pocket with his free hand and managed to grab a fistful of money. “How much was it again?”

            “Ten gold and five copper pieces, sir.” Eren counted the money in his hand and gave it to the cashier before digging around for another two copper pieces.

            “Where’s that other damn piece? I know I had it,” Eren muttered quietly as his furrowed his eyebrows and dug harder for the last copper piece.

            “Kid just let me help you. It’s only one copper piece.”

            “No, it’s my gift,” Eren insisted. His fingers gripped around the edge of the last copper piece and he grasped it in his hand triumphantly. “I told you I had the money, Heichou,” he smirked. Eren gave the final piece to the cashier and took his necklace.

            “Okay now that you have your present, I’m going to go back to the house and start making that cake for Hanji. Give me the necklace, cake mix, and pastries and I’ll hide them from her. I’ll meet up with you soon, after the cake is baking. Where do you think you’ll be?”

            “Probably the market square getting stuff. See you later Heichou!” Eren grinned at Levi and shoved everything he was carrying into Levi’s arms before sprinting to the market square.

            “Oi Kid! Wait!” Levi tried to call out to Eren but Eren was either too far away to hear Levi’s shouts or he just ignored him. “Tsc. Whatever, dumb brat.” He rearranged everything he carried and began the walk to the house.

            Levi made it back to the house in under ten minutes but carefully walked around the perimeter of the house first, searching for Hanji. When he circled back to the front door, he took a breath and nudged the door open as silently as he could. The hinges creaked annoyingly loud and Levi froze. He silently swore and made a mental note to oil the door later that night. He glanced around as far as he could but there was still no sign of Hanji. He pushed the door open a smidgeon more, wincing at the creaks from the hinges, and cautiously slid into the house. There was no one in sight so he quickly wiped his shoes on the mat (like hell he was going to track dirt into the house for a goddamn surprise party) and sped to the kitchen. He quickly put the cake mix in the pantry and grabbed the box of pastries and necklace. He crept through hallway, walking on only his toes. He glanced down the long hallway and stretched his hand out to carefully open his door. Being as cautious as before, he opened the door only enough to stick his head in and check that Hanji wasn’t lurking in any corners. Seeing no sign of the overly excited demon, Levi slipped into the room and locked the door behind him. Now that he was safe, Levi let out a breath of air he didn’t realize he was holding.

            “I have to hide these somewhere,” Levi thought aloud. He glanced around the room, looking for a place to hide the gifts. He settled on a shoebox in his closet and proceeded to place Eren’s gift in the glasses case he bought before putting the case in the shoebox. Levi looked at the clock on the wall and swore. He dashed out of the room and into the kitchen while putting on an apron. He ran to the sink and began to vigorously clean his hands. Once satisfied he pulled out a bowl and got the cake mix from the pantry. He scanned the ingredient list before twisting his mouth into a scowl.

            “These are fucking disgusting. Hanji can’t have dyes either anyway. I’m going to have to make this from scratch.” Levi repressed the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose and threw the bag of cake mix into the pantry. He gathered flour, eggs, sugar, and a couple other ingredients before plopping them all on the spotless counter.

Getting into a rhythm, Levi began to hum songs while he stirred the eggs and flour together. He was so immersed in what he was doing he didn’t realize that someone else was in the kitchen signing to his song that he was humming. Levi added more ingredients to the bowl and placed it down, then he turned to the oven behind him and blasted two fire balls into its depths. As the oven warmed, Levi turned back to the bowl while humming and saw a jug of fresh milk and butter. He stopped humming and raised an eyebrow. The singing, however, did not stop. Levi looked up to see Eren decorating the kitchen while singing quietly to himself. Levi could feel his heart beat faster and his stomach felt like tiny wolf-bats were running and flying around. Eren’s messy mop of brown hair swayed from side to side each time he tilted his head.

            “Uh, thanks Kid,” Levi said awkwardly. He cursed himself immediately for letting himself get flustered over Eren singing. Thinking of Eren’s singing made his mouth keep going before he even realized what was happening. “You have a beautiful voice by the way.” As Eren turned his head to stare at Levi, he ducked his head down and began to harshly beat the cake mix in the bowl.

            “Thanks. My mom used to sing to me when I was really little so I would sing to her when I got bigger. We used to do that all the time when she cooked in the kitchen. I haven’t really sang since she…passed.” Eren gazed down sadly but then he jerked his head up and shook it. “No point dwelling in the past, right?”

            Levi tried to cheer Eren up with a snark comment. “What do mean ‘when I was little’? You still act like a little kid all the time.” Eren turned back to the wall he was decorating with a snort.

            “Who are you call little? You’re basically a midget.”

            “And you should shut your damn mouth, Brat.”

            “You started it.”

            “Shut the fuck up.”

-X-

            “She’s coming up the walkway! Everyone get in positions!” Armin yelled to the small group of friends. Eren and Levi had finished decorating and baking earlier and now, the party was ready to begin. There was a multitude of shoving and squeezing as everyone crammed into the tiny kitchen. Everyone, except for Connie and Sasha who had successfully kept Hanji busy all day, got into their positions to surprise Hanji when she walked in the front door. Levi dimmed all the candles in the room and stood with his party favor at the ready. He felt a nudge on his shoulder and Levi spared a glance. Eren was quite literally looking down at Levi as he wore the biggest shit-eating grin Levi had ever saw.

            “This is it! Make it a good one Heichou!” he whispered excitedly.

            “Try not to piss your pants, idiot,” Levi replied dryly. The doorknob jiggled impatiently and a silence fell on everyone inside.

            Hanji opened the door and stepped inside while proceeding to continue her conversation with Connie. “I could talk all day about Titans, Connie. I mean how often do you get to even touch a Titan? In a few experiments I’ve done though, I’ve concluded that you can’t touch them without burning your hand, luckily I wasn’t the person who realized that.” Hanji let out a hearty, good-natured laugh and tossed her jacket on the couches. Levi nodded his head and held up three fingers. He counted down and when he lowered his last finger, a deafening shout came from the kitchen.

            “HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANJI!” Levi brightened each candle simultaneously while shouting happy birthday and couldn’t help but crack a smile as he saw Hanji’s bewildered expression. He raised his party horn to his lips and blew into it, releasing a loud, shrill noise. Hanji shrieked in delight when she saw Levi smirking with the party horn raised to his lips with a party hat on his head.

            “LEVI ACKERMAN!” Hanji stormed over to Levi and lifted him up in a crushing bear hug. Levi coughed and tried to breathe despite Hanji’s bone crushing hug. “You. Are. The. BEST. FRIEND. A. PERSON. CAN. HAVE!” Hanji buried her head in Levi’s shoulder and hugged him tighter while lifting him up higher. Levi’s face was rapidly turning red as he tried to resist Hanji’s strength. Levi managed to let out a _tsc_ and glared as he heard everyone’s laughter.

            “Put me down or you won’t have a best friend anymore,” he said with a strained expression. Levi felt his shoulder grow wet from Hanji’s tears and he heard her let out a laugh and she threw her head back in laughter.

            “Levi, you are lost without me so it doesn’t really matter!”

            Stars danced around Levi’s vision as he struggled to force out words. “You idiot, I can’t breathe!” Hanji made a little ‘o’ with her mouth and immediately dropped Levi. He stood up shakily and slapped Hanji on the shoulder. “Quite crying, it’s your birthday.”

            “Yeah! Have a party hat Hanji!” Mikasa and Armin ran forward and gave Hanji a hug before slipping a party hat that had once said ‘Birthday Girl’ but now read ‘Happy Birthday to the Most Badass Woman’. Eren laughed and came to greet Hanji with everyone else.

            “Happy Birthday Hanji!” he said happily. “No one worked harder to pull this together than Heichou right here.” Eren slapped a hand down on Levi’s shoulder and was promptly elbowed in the gut by the little man.

            “Don’t be such a modest little shit.” Levi glanced up at Hanji who was smirking while raising an eyebrow. “Eren helped just as much as I did.” She rushed forward to give them both another crushing hug but Levi quickly ducked away but Eren wasn’t as lucky. Hanji caught him in one of her life-draining hugs and sobbed into his shoulder.

            “Thank you Eren and you too Levi!” She released a light-headed Eren and stood in front of everyone. “Thank you to everyone here who came to wish me a happy birthday and to Connie and Sasha who managed to keep me away to allow this to happen.” She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, leaving dark blue splotches.

            Erwin stepped forward and cleared his throat. “As tradition Hanji, you can choose one wish that everyone will have to participate in. Choose wisely,” he finished with a smirk.

            “I want to have a beach party! Right now and everything! Cake and presents will be when we get back.”

            Erwin nodded his head and summoned Sasha and Connie who were in the process of stealing food from the pantry. “Go get the beach towels, we’re going to the beach.”

            “Hanji the water is going to be freezing,” Levi complained.

            “I don’t care! I want to go ice surfing at night!” Hanji shrugged off her heavy blue hoodie-jacket and threw it on top of her jacket on the couch. “Let’s go!” She darted off the worn path to the beach, leaving Levi to shake his head and sigh before moving to follow her. He was stopped by Eren who had warm, inviting glow in his eyes.

            “Should I bring the fireworks?” Eren inquired hopefully.

            “Yeah do that.” Levi replied monotonously.

            “Is that a yes or you being sarcastic saying yes and really meaning no?”

            “Bring the damn fireworks, Brat!” Eren chuckled and leaned close to Levi.

            “I’m not a brat and my name is Eren since you seem to be forgetting it.” Eren was surprised by his own daring but he managed to at least stun Levi.

            “Go get the fucking fireworks!” Levi hissed. Eren’s façade of confidence dissolved and Eren practically bolted out of the room. As soon as Eren left, Levi huffed and stalked of the join Hanji in the water while insisting to himself that his neck was not red from embarrassment.  

            Levi walked quickly down the pathway to the beach and couldn’t help but smirk when he saw Hanji night-surfing. She didn’t see him walk up to the group on the beach but Erwin did. With a slap to his shoulder, Erwin let out a throaty laugh. “You did well Levi. Hanji’s really happy.”

            “I know what I’ve done Erwin. Hanji is without a doubt one of the most annoying people I’ve ever met but she’s also my best friend,” Levi chuckled to himself and placed a hand on his hip.

            “I thought I was your best friend Levi. Am I being replaced?” Erwin asked.

            Levi groaned and slid a warm hand down his face. “You guys will be the death of me. I don’t even know why I bother staying around. If I left, I’m positive that this load of stress would instantly be gone.” Erwin laughed outright at Levi’s banters and gave him another slap on the shoulder. Levi gingerly rubbed said shoulder, sure that it would bruise by tomorrow if anyone else decided to slap it.

            “Are you going in the water?” Erwin asked mildly.

            “Only if Hanji asks. I really don’t want to go in-“

            “LEVI!” Levi looked away from Erwin to see Hanji running up the beach to meet him. She had changed into her swimwear of a pale blue crop-top that was sleeveless and pale blue shorts. Her long legs and strides had Hanji at the top of the hill where Levi and Erwin were talking in a few moments. “Levi come into the water. It’s the perfect temperature.” She grabbed his right arm and pulled him down the hill. “You too Erwin!”

            “Tsc, Hanji let me go. I have to change,” Levi demanded with a huff. As he took his undid the belt keeping his shirt in order, Levi grumbled to himself. “Is it really all that hard to just have one day that has absolutely no surprises.” He slipped out of his many upper layers and took his boots off. He laid them all in a neat pile and followed Hanji reluctantly into the water. The water was indeed as warm as Hanji claimed and he ducked under the surface and opened his eyes. There wasn’t much light so he quickly brought his head up and swam a little farther into the sea, near Hanji and Erwin.

            “HEADS UP!” Levi turned but was too late as of then. Eren jumped down from a tall slope of frozen water directly in front of Levi. The waves from Eren’s cannonball towered over Levi and he went tumbling back in a strong tide. Levi emerged from the water with a gasp and swam forward to where Erwin, Hanji, and Eren were dying in fits of laughter.

            “Oi! Next time you pull a fucking stunt like that I will personally cut your fucking arms and legs off and throw you off a goddamn cliff.” Despite Levi’s obvious seriousness, they all began to laugh again.

            “Levi, I want to play that game you showed me a few years back!” Hanji exclaimed.

            “Speed Chase?”

            “Yes! Okay for teams it’ll be, Erwin and I while you and Eren pair up.” Hanji smirked with a mischievous glint in her eyes behind the large goggles she always wore.

            “Hanji when the night is over, I swear I am going to gut you,” Levi said without any real malice behind his voice.

            “What’s Speed Chase?” Eren asked. Levi felt like just falling under the water and letting the waves take him away as he regarded Eren’s question. “Once again, it’s a legitimate question, Heichou.”

            “Speed Chase is whenever you have two people on one team- a waterbender and someone else-and the waterbender creates a board to surf the water. As the waterbender does that, the other person has to try to get the other team to fall off their board into the water.” Erwin explained. “Do you think you know enough waterbending to play?”

            “Yeah this sounds fun. I can do it no problem.” Eren grinned. Hanji squealed and grabbed Erwin’s elbow.

            “We have to come up with a strategy! Don’t listen in!” Hanji bended a wave to carry her and Erwin away from Eren and Levi while laughing like a crazy woman- which she was in Levi’s perspective.

            “Just bend the water and I’ll take care of the rest,” Levi said as he turned to face Eren. “And go as fast as you can.” Eren nodded and waved his arm, creating a wave to surf on. He froze the water underneath his feet as he rode the wave and gestured for Levi to get on. Levi slumped over the ice board and hissed slightly as its freezing temperature.

            “Do you need help?” Eren asked earnestly. Levi mumbled some curses but waved of Eren’s outstretched hand. Levi pushed off the board and lifted one foot to the ice. He slowly managed to stand shakily and shuddered. “Do you mind if I freeze your feet Heichou?”

            “If you do what?” Levi raised his eyebrows in bewilderment. 

            “If I can freeze your feet to the ice board. That way you can’t fall off the board unless it’s a hard blast or something.”

            “You can’t, that’s against the rules.”

            “Oh, okay then. Are you ready because I’m not slowing down for anything?”

            Levi huffed impatiently and nodded his head. “I’m ready; let’s go kick ass.” Eren chuckled and pushed his arms back forcefully. They began to shoot down the water towards Hanji and Erwin. Levi shot harmless yet forceful blasts of fire towards Hanji and Erwin. Hanji laughed at Levi’s half-hearted attempts and easily evaded his attacks.

            “You’re going to have to do better than that Levi!” Hanji shouted in delight. She turned the direction she and Erwin where previously headed in and sped next to Levi and Eren. Before Levi could shield himself, Hanji bended a splash of water at Levi’s face. Erwin blew a blast of air, effectively moving him and Hanji out of Levi’s blast range.

            “Kid,” Levi said through gritted teeth. Eren looked back at Levi mildly concerned. “As fast as you possibly can manage. Right now.” Eren grinned and followed Levi’s instructions. Levi stood tall, or as tall as he could without falling off, and started blasting fully heated fire blasts towards the sides of Hanji’s ice-board. Erwin managed to wipe most of the blasts but some hit the sides of the ice and it melted away. Erwin cursed under his breath and told Hanji to speed up. Levi let out a dark laugh and continued to melt the ice underneath Hanji and Erwin’s board.  Hanji directed a sharp turn and sped toward the beach, all the while laughing.

            “Heichou!” Eren called out. Levi grunted a response to indicate he was listening while still blasting away. “Is it against the rules for the waterbender to attack?” They both ducked a sharp gust of wind from Erwin and continued their chase.

            “No it isn’t. Do you have an idea or something?”

            “I’m going to slow down but then I’m going to bend the water up and force them into the air. If they still are still on the board, you can melt it then.” Eren made a sharp turn as Erwin blasted another gust of wind towards them.

            “Go ahead!” Levi shouted as he clung onto the board. “Do it!” Eren grinned and stopped swinging his arms. The ice board glided to a stop on the water and Eren jutted out his hands and swung his right hand up. Hanji and Erwin flew into the night air and landed with a splash into the water. Eren let out a triumphant roar and sped them over to the churning waters. Erwin and Hanji emerged from the waters moments later looking quite dumbfounded.

            “What the hell Levi? It’s my birthday!” Hanji exclaimed.

“I don’t see the value of that in competitions Hanji.” Levi said monotonously but Eren could see the spark of amusement in Levi’s eyes. Not that he was staring at Levi or anything.

            “It’s my birthday so that means that I win at everything!” Hanji stuck her bottom lip out in a pout while glaring at Levi.

            “Cheer up Hanj,” Levi said while cracking a half smirk at Hanji’s intensified glare due to the nickname he used. “If we go back to the house now, you can still have your cake and presents.” He reached his hand out to seemingly pat her on the head but instead he lightly flicked her forehead.

            “OW LEVI THAT HURT!” Hanji roared. Erwin and Eren laughed at Hanji’s exaggerated distress and began to swim the short distance to shore. On the way back, they heard large booming noises. Erwin immediately was on guard for Titans but when they looked up at the sky, colorful bursts of light were littering the night sky. Hanji quit her sulking immediately and looked up with wonder. “They’re fireworks,” she said quietly. “You got me fireworks for my birthday?” she asked louder. “They look beautiful!” Hanji sped the rest of the way to shore until she was stumbling nearly head over heels towards Sasha and Connie who were lighting the fireworks. Judging by Sasha’s shrieks of surprise and terror, Levi figured Hanji was being too passionate again. He began to swim to shore and Eren and Erwin followed behind him, Eren closer to him than Erwin.

-X-

            The members of the Survey Corps were back inside the house with towels on when Levi announced he would bring the cake out. “Alright try not to lose your shit but while I’m gone, but I’m going to get the cake.” At the mention of food, Sasha and Connie let out a loud cheer that Levi scoffed at. “Oi Kid,” he called out. Eren turned with a smile on his face from his conversation with Mikasa and Armin. “Get the stuff while I get the cake.” A shadow of confusion crossed Eren’s face but it quickly dissolved as he smiled at Levi and sent him a thumbs up to indicate that he knew what Levi meant. Levi nodded and walked into the kitchen and pulled the cake out. He walked it back into the dining room, where everyone had gathered, and presented the cake in front of Hanji. Her eyes widened and she burst out laughing at what Levi had written on the cake.

            It read: _Happy Birthday to the Most Annoying KICK-ASS Woman I Know._

            Eren walked into the room next and brought out two gifts- one from him and one from Levi. While Levi was cutting slices for everyone, Hanji jumped up and shouted to Eren.

            “What’s in your hands?”

            “Happy birthday from me and Levi,” Eren said cheerily and handed the gifts to Hanji’s anxiously waiting hands. The beautiful wrappings Levi put on them were discarded with quick tears and rips and Hanji exclaimed.

            “Thank you Eren! I love it and it’s so beautiful!” She held up the beautiful blue necklace with the symbol of the Water Tribe. She immediately put the necklace on and clutched the pendant. “I was thinking of getting something like this soon since I haven’t visited in so long!” She gave Eren a gentle hug, for her strength wasn’t as strong since she was tired.

            “Oi Hanji, open my gift already.” Levi said briskly as he passed out plates of cake and forks. Hanji decimated the wrappings covering Levi’s gift and eagerly opened the case. Levi smirked to himself as he heard Hanji’s happy shrieks.

            “They look exactly like the ones I have now and that’s EXACTLY what I wanted! Thank you Levi, really!” Hanji took off the googles she was wearing and slipped on the new pair Levi got her. They fitted her head perfectly and she blinked her eyes multiple times, adjusting to the much clearer vision. Hanji stood and ran to give Levi a firm hug and she whispered into his ear. “Thank you Levi.” It was a small phrase but Hanji said it softly and sincerely. Levi patted his friend’s back and answered her softly with warmth coating his voice.

            “Anything for my best friend, Hanj.”

            “Alright guys. Time to turn in- Eren, Levi, Sasha, Connie, and Hanji only,” Erwin ordered. Sasha and Connie let out a cheer and didn’t try to protest Erwin’s decisions. “Only those four because they pulled this entire party together and Hanji because it’s her birthday. Everyone else is going to help clean up.”

            The five walked down the hall and went their separate ways. Eren opened the door to his immaculately clean room and collapsed on his bed. Levi closed the door and fell onto his own bed too, only pausing to take off his shoes and neatly place them in front of the closet door. Eren, however, merely kicked off his shoes before crawling into bed and knocking out. Before Levi had even drawn the blankets on his bed, Eren was already snoring. 

            “Good night Kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you thought that this chapter was the calm before the storm, then you're wrong btw. 
> 
> Chapter 21 tomorrow!! Just so you know now, there will an update on New Year's Eve. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, kudos, and comments. Tell me what you thought below and stay tuned!!


	21. There's Only Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren has a nightmare that may foreshadow the inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2000 hits??? How?????? Thank you to EVERYONE who is reading this fic, you seriously keep me going. 
> 
> About the fic itself: We are approaching the halfway mark I believe, at least in the plot line but I may add fluffy chapters for fluffy chapters' sake and stuff.   
> Ereri moments are coming up more frequently because they are needed.   
> Also, time jumps; we're near October now. This chapter leads into bigger events in case it seems short to you.

            Eren woke up early one morning but decided to lay in bed rather than get up and stretch as he usually would. He threw his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. In a blink of an eye, two whole months had passed before Eren even knew. It was late September, only a few days from October and the weather was already chilling. Armin had predicted that they should have a snowfall on any day and Eren was thrilled. In Shiganshina, they would never get much more than an inch of snow if they were lucky. While in those two months’ time, Eren and Hanji had worked tirelessly to master waterbending. Luckily all of their hard work paid off and he was already at an early master level. Hanji would teach Eren some master level techniques and then expect him to use them in their weekly fight. Most battles would go to Hanji but Eren did have some winning times. Once, he had won by freezing Hanji against a tree and another time was won by sheer exertion: they fought until one passed out first.

            During the two months of non-stop work, everyone became much stronger. Mikasa and Armin had finally reached the level of masters and were now Levi’s go-to people. Sasha had become a master earthbender and was beginning to learn metalbending. Eren was also learning with metalbending but he still had a lot to learn. She too, like Mikasa and Armin, had become a very dependable person who Levi trusted. Connie managed to sharpen his skills in airbending but Erwin still deemed him a student and not a master.

            Eren had also managed in those two months to get very close to Levi. He saw Levi as his closest friend and would hang around him as much as he could when he wasn’t with Hanji, Mikasa, or Armin. Still in those two months Levi had never called Eren by his name but used a variety of nicknames instead. Each time Levi would call Eren a new nickname, he would groan but secretly inside, Eren could feel his stomach doing flips and turns. Eren wasn’t completely sure why he would blush and chuckle to himself when no one else was looking whenever Levi would talk to him, but he did like it. A lot. Probably more than he should. Unfortunately most of Eren’s subtle advances had gone with no attention. He always offered to help Levi with any task at any time, cleaned daily up to Levi’s standards, and he had discreetly managed to move his bed closer to Levi’s by moving it an inch at a time each day. Levi still had yet to react but Eren was determined not to give up on him.

            He turned over to look at Levi. His eyes were closed and his features were graced with relaxation. Eren let out a contempt sight and he closed his eyes, letting sleep take him as he stared at his handsome roommate. Of course his dream would not allow him to have a peaceful sleep. In his dream, Eren was training with Hanji by the beach as usual but suddenly Hanji grew rigid and stopped bending. Her eyes began to glow a strange bright blue color and stared Eren directly in the eyes. Hanji’s voice was not hers but was a different woman’s and it was frantic, as if she was in a dire situation.

            “Avatar Eren, be ready. It will test you in ways you haven’t felt in so long. We cannot help you unless you start it.” The world around Hanji and Eren began to melt away, as if it was the wax of a burning candle. In the usually sunny beach’s place, a dark sky and a destroyed city took its place. As in Eren’s other nightmares, the bodies of his loved ones were scattered and bloody but among them this time he saw Levi. He ran over to Levi and shook his shoulders. Levi’s head rolled limply in his arms and tears began to well in Eren’s eyes.

“Levi,” Eren sobbed. “No, you have to come back. You can’t be dead. Please don’t be dead.” Eren’s voice cracked at the end and the tears were freed from their prison. Eren cradled Levi’s head in his arms and wept. “C-come back. I-I need you here. You need to come b-back.” Levi’s body began to evaporate but Eren clung to him as long as he could. Soon Levi was gone and Eren stood up looking desperately for where he went. He turned and nearly fell over as Hanji was now in front of him with her eyes still glowing that strange color. The possessed Hanji screamed at Eren and clutched his shoulders. “BE READY, IT WILL COME!” The light in Hanji’s eyes extinguished and she crumpled to the ground. Eren shot awake screaming as loud as possible.

-X-

            Levi was tired. He had just finished doing a lookout watch with Hanji and he finally was able to get some rest. As he made his way down the hallway, he looked at each room inhabiting a person from his squad. Over the past two months, Levi had adjusted well to his new squad. Mikasa was like Petra, reliable and strong. She also was very much like Levi: strong, hardheaded, and very loyal to her friends. Armin was like Eld. He lacked strength but he was very lethal when it came to plans. Armin would carefully craft plans that would succeed if executed properly. At first Levi didn’t approve of Sasha and Connie but he quickly changed his mind when he saw them work together. They were like halves of the same whole and fought amazing together.  Sasha herself was a master earthbender and now she was learning metalbending. Connie wasn’t a master airbender but if it was any other instructor, he would have passed his master’s exam with flying colors.

As Levi approached his room, he thought about the only person who wasn’t a part of his squad: Eren. Eren was different from the others and not just because he was the Avatar. Levi could tell that Eren legitimately cared about him. As weird as it sounded in his head, he knew it was true. Even though Eren tried to hide it, Levi could hear each sigh to come from Eren’s mouth every time he talked to him. He could see the blushing spread across his face and he saw that no matter how tired Eren was, he’d always volunteer to help him with any task. As Levi opened the door to go to sleep, he saw Eren’s sleeping form. He was curled up on the bed with his knees near his chest and his mass of messy hair was even scruffier than usual. His eyes were closed and he seemed so peaceful. Levi scoffed to himself at the thought of him staring into Eren’s large teal-green eyes and he walked to his bed. He quickly discarded his shirt and climbed under his blankets. He closed his eyes and instantly fell into a dream. This dream was of his deeply regretted conversation with Hanji during their lookout shift.

The conversation was short but it still managed to shake Levi a little. “Hanji, how do you know when someone likes you?” Levi started it slowly wanting to tell Hanji as little as possible. She answered somewhat seriously.

“You just need to observe that person. Whenever you interact with them, watch the little emotions that go through them. If the person is expressive, it should usually show on their face despite their best efforts.” Hanji elbowed him in the side. “Do you have an admirer, Levi?”

“I think I might,” he admitted grudgingly. Hanji squealed and turned to look at Levi.

“So, who’s the lucky girl?”

“Actually it’s a guy.”

“Wow Levi. You have people from both genders trying to get a shot with you.” Hanji snorted.

“What the hell are you talking about Hanj?” Hanji sent Levi a sharp glare at using a nickname she hated deeply but she soon gave him a cheery response.

“Petra. She was head over heels in love with you. It was obvious if you know how to read people like I do. And by the way, how come you never told me you’re gay?” Hanji glanced over and saw Levi’s hardened expression. She quickly lowered her voice and pressed softly. “You didn’t know did you?” Levi shook his head stiffly and Hanji sighed. “I’m sorry it had to come up like this but Petra told me around the time she first joined the Survey Corps. Eventually she became smitten with Oluo but she always hid it. Her feelings for you never left but they became more platonic I think; she loved you as a brother and would always care about you.” Levi turned his head and ran a hand over his face. He let out a long sigh and spoke quietly.

“It’s Eren. I think he likes me.” Levi glanced at Hanji to see her with a hand over her mouth. He knew she was going to want details so he started spewing out everything he was thinking. “He thinks he’s subtle with each advance but I’m very observant so I can see through his shitty attempts of flirting. I can see that he blushes whenever I talk to him, he laughs to himself after I finish talking to him whenever he thinks I can’t hear but I can hear like a fucking bat. And if the little shit thinks I don’t notice that he’s moving his bed at least an inch every fucking day closer to mine then he is an idiot.” By the time Levi finished he little rant about Eren, Hanji was howling with laughter. Levi quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. “We’re on lookout dumb-ass. The point is to find others not others find us,” he hissed. Hanji nodded and he released her mouth but she still giggled.

“Levi it’s obvious that he likes you, probably a lot too. It’s just funny because he literally is hitting on you in the way you would find most annoying but at the same time he has you in the palm of his hand.” Hanji paused to wipe a tear and continued her explanation. “If this is so annoying, why don’t you just tell him to stop? It’s been going on for two months yet you let it continue. It’s showing through cracks of your usually flawless mask but don’t worry. I’m positive that only Erwin and I could tell.”

“Mind telling me what your big revelation is?”  

“Oh Levi, it’s clear that it would be hilarious to watch you while you were blissfully unaware but that’s too cruel. What I’m getting at is that his little advances are getting to you and that you partially like them.” Levi widened his eyes and stared at his comrade. “Before you start the denial phase, hear me out. By what you’ve told me, you never tried to confront Eren about this and you never tried to get him to stop. I said that you partially like them because you’re venting to me right now how annoying they are. Even when you were just talking about Eren a few moments ago your eyes lit.”

“Hanji before you get any further, even if you were right I couldn’t do anything to get with Eren. He’s seventeen and I’m twenty-seven. That’s a ten year gap and he’s still a minor. It’s a recipe for disaster and I already have a bad enough record as it is.”

“Okay so wait until he turns eighteen. I’m sure if you tell him that, he’ll be satisfied and just want to hold your hand when you’re alone.” Hanji turned away from Levi and began to look out over the hills. “I’m so happy for you!” she squealed. “But seriously why didn’t you ever tell me you were gay?”

“It never came up,” Levi answered coolly. His dream self was about to say more but a shrill scream ripped through his dream and Levi shot awake looking around frantically. Eren was sitting up in his bed screaming and his hands were pressing into his eyes. He was also covered in sweat and his cheeks were streaked with tears. Levi put two and two together and quickly rushed to Eren’s side.

“Eren,” he said firmly. “Eren it’s okay. It’s just a nightmare. Stop screaming, it’s okay. Remember me? I’m Levi and you’re in the Survey Corps house. We’ll take care of you and protect the others. It’s okay.” Levi kept repeating the same comforting phrases until Eren managed to stop screaming. Once Eren’s screams were reduced to whimpers, Levi slipped his hand around Eren’s wrists and gently pried his fists away from his eyes. Eren’s eyes were red from crying but they widened in shock after seeing Levi.

“B-but you were,” he mumbled. “I saw you. Y-you were dead, everyone was dead again.” Levi released Eren’s wrists and stood up to get a wet towel.

“I’m not dead. No one is dead; it was all just a dream.” Levi walked back to Eren’s bed with a wet towel and sat down. He carefully wiped his forehead of sweat and gave the towel to Eren for him to take care of the rest. Eren thanked him and began to towel the rest of his face and neck.

“It was a really bad one Heichou,” Eren said quietly. His voice was hoarse from all the screaming. Suddenly his arms froze he stared at Levi’s eyes as the color drained from his face. “I need to see Erwin. I think my nightmare was also a vision again. Something bad is going to happen and soon.” Levi nodded his head and stood up.

“If that’s the case, this can wake him up. Let’s go.” Levi grabbed Eren’s still shaking hand and began to lead him out of the room.

“Wait Heichou! Shouldn’t you, um, put a shirt on?” Levi smirked at chuckled.

“I don’t need a shirt,” Levi glanced back in time to see Eren looking down, blushing furiously. He let out a dark laugh and continued to pull the shaken Eren out the door to Erwin’s room.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...maybe I lied a bit when I said that the last chapter was the calm before the storm. There's a storm coming.   
> Thanks for all the hits, kudos, and comments! Speaking of which, feel free to tell me what you think about the story or chapter! Find me on tumblr at: 'chibinico'


	22. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren talks to Erwin about his nightmare. Later, he and Levi go looking for clothes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!! This is a bit short and I apologize for that but don't worry I decided not to be a mean author this time and it doesn not end in a cliff hanger. Also Eren and Levi looking at clothes together is literally a must. Enjoy the ereri!!

  

            Levi rushed Eren to Erwin’s door and firmly knocked three times. “Erwin! Wake up, this is important!” Levi knocked firmly again and this time, a muffled response came back. Soon after, Erwin opened the door. He was wearing baggy beige pants and had no shirt on like Levi. His hair was still neatly groomed and Levi rolled his eyes mentally. Leave it to Erwin to be in tip top shape at all times.

            “What is it Levi? It’s very early.” Levi raised Eren’s still shaking hand and Erwin immediately let them in. Levi sat Eren down on a chair, all the while muttering assurances that everyone was alive and well to him. Levi released Eren’s wrist and sat down next to Erwin on his bed. Eren sighed and placed his head in his hands, breathing heavily. Erwin spoke gently to try and get Eren to speak calmly. “Eren what happened? Did you have another vision?”

            “I did,” his voice cracked on the last word. Eren cleared his throat and continued with a shaky breath. “It was the worst one yet. In my dream, I was just practicing with Hanji but then she became rigid and a bright blue started shining from her eyes. Her voice wasn’t hers either. It was some other woman and she was warning me about something bad. She kept telling me to be ready and that whatever is coming will be soon and it will test me in more ways than one. After that,” his voice wavered. He didn’t really want to go into details about seeing Levi dead so he decided to generalize the rest of his nightmare. “Yeah um, after that I saw everyone’s bodies; they were all dead. Then the weird Hanji grabbed my shoulders and started screaming at me that I have to be ready and that whatever is coming will come.” Eren finished and looked up at Levi and Erwin. Levi had widened his eyes and Erwin was determining the meanings behind Eren’s nightmare-vison.

            “Damn Kid,” Levi stated. “How do you put up with this every night?”

            “It’s not every night. Mostly it’s just my friends who area dead because of Titans.” Levi looked at Eren with wide eyes for a moment before narrowing them again. Levi actually felt really bad for Eren despite his current expression, but he knew there wasn’t much he could do to help stop the nightmares except be there when Eren wakes up.

            “Eren,” Erwin began. “What do you think the vision meant? Did you recognize the voice from any other vision you had?” Eren debated the questions in his head before answering.

            “I think it means that Titans are going to find here relatively soon but it’s going to be bad. As for the voice, I think I heard it before. When I was traveling here through the tunnel Petra and the others made. I had another vision telling us which way to go after we left the tunnel. Is she important?” Erwin rubbed at his chin, debating the information Eren gave him.

            “The next time you have a vision, ask her who she is, or if you learn on your own, let me know. I need to know if we can trust her or not. Was that all?”

            “Yeah.” Eren and Levi both stood and began to make their way to the door. Eren stopped suddenly and Levi accidently ran into him but since Eren’s skin was very soft and warm, he didn’t mind much. “Erwin,” Eren called. Erwin looked up at the Avatar with an eyebrow raised. “The more I think about it, the more I don’t like it but I have a gut feeling that the Titans are going to be really bad this time. I mean like thirty plus Titans.” Erwin raised his other eyebrow and nodded his head.

            “Do you want me to begin evacuating citizens? There are quite a few hundred that live here.”

            “Yes. That would probably be best. Also, ready the soldiers here. I have a feeling this will happen any day now.” Erwin nodded and wrote down Eren’s instructions down on a piece of paper. As Levi watched, he was surprised at Eren. He had forgotten that because he was the Avatar, he had a higher rank of order than anyone and his order about the well-being of people were not to be taken lightly. Eren turned again and left the room.

            “Levi,” Erwin called. Levi stopped in his tracks and turned to face his superior. “Is your squad ready? Eren will need to be covered but I will need you and Hanji to be with me.”

            “My squad is ready but your team doesn’t have an earthbender.”

            “What about Sasha Blouse? I hear she’s a very gifted earthbender?”

            “She is gifted but when teamed up with Connie Springer, they are a killing machine. It’d be better for them to be stationed with Eren.” Erwin hummed in approval before speaking again.

            “I’ll get Hanji to bring in one of her men then from the Titan station. If we send a hawk, the person should arrive by tonight. As soon as she wakes up, will you send her in here please?”

            “Yes. Good night sir.” Levi turned and began to make his way back to the door.

            “It’s technically morning you know,” Erwin said with a sly grin. Levi just clicked his tongue and began to proceed to the door. “Oh and Levi,” Levi paused once again and glanced back at Erwin. “If you wear a shirt next time, it would be very much appreciated.” Levi could practically feel Erwin’s smirk without having to turn back around to see it.

            “I’m sorry if my abs put your shitty ones to shame Erwin but this is just how I sleep.” Levi allowed a small smirk to grace his features while Erwin let out a booming laugh. Levi walked out of the room while raising a hand to wave as he left.  By the time Levi made it back to his room, Eren was already curled up in his bed sleeping. Levi stood staring at him sleep fondly before shaking his head and walking to his own bed.

-X-

            Eren woke the next morning to the smell of tea in the room. He rolled over in his bed and let out a groan. He sat up and yawned while trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

            “Good morning Kid.” Eren jumped slightly at Levi’s voice but he managed to crack his eyes open and look at his hot roommate. Levi was slouching on his bed, shirtless, while taking a sip of tea. Eren took a moment just to rake his eyes over Levi’s shirtless body. For being such a short man, he had so much muscle and his abs were chiseled. He ran his eyes back up his body and looked away as he saw Levi smirking at him. Eren could feel the heat rising to his face and he heard Levi let out a chuckle.

            “Do you want a picture? I’m sure it would last longer.” Levi let out a genuine laugh as Eren’s entire face darkened. He reached over to his nightstand and picked up a teacup. “I made you a cup of Chamomile tea. It’s supposed to help people relax and after that nightmare-vision you had, I thought it would be calming for you.” Eren managed to look Levi in the eyes and take the cup of tea without it sloshing over the edges too much.

            “Um, thanks Heichou.” Levi nodded his head and finished his tea. He stood up and stretched out his arms with a smirk as he heard Eren quietly choke on his tea.

            “I’m going to get geared up. If the Titans are going to attack soon, I need to be ready. Actually you should come too Kid. We can’t have the Avatar fighting without any form of protection and those rags your always wearing won’t do shit. No offense.”

            “Of course not, how could I possibly be offended by that?” Eren replied sarcastically.

He stood up and slipped his shoes on over his feet. Meanwhile, Levi was putting on a loose brown shirt. Once Eren had finished his delicious Chamomile tea, he followed Levi to a part of the small headquarters he had never seen. It was a small room filled with battle gear. Eren ran straight to the clothes from the Earth Kingdom while Levi went to the Fire Nation clothes. Eren liked all of the armor he saw but ultimately, he picked out an outfit that was like his usual one that Petra gave him. He wore green baggy pants that ended around his shins and a dark green tunic over his golden sleeveless button up shirt. The tunic ended around his mid-thighs and a gold belt kept it in pace over his hips. For his shoes, he chose regular green flats nearly identical to the ones he still had.

            In the meantime, Levi had wondered over to the Fire Nation side. The armor available was only bulky and too stand-offish for Levi’s tastes. He decided to wear something that wasn’t completely useless for armor but was also comfortable to fight in. He settled grudgingly on tall, black, tight boots and reddish brown baggy pants. He tied the pants off with a red sash that would work as a belt. He walked along the racks until he found a nice blood red shirt with short sleeves. He stripped his body of his loose brown shirt and shrugged on the new shirt. It clung to his body nicely and allowed him to move with ease. Over the red shirt, Levi put on a maroon and gold vest that flowed slightly every time he walked. Satisfied with what he found, he walked over to the Earth Kingdom area.

            “Oi Kid! Did you replace the rags you used to wear?” He walked around a corner to find Eren shrugging on a dark green tunic and placing a gold belt around his waist to keep it in place. Levi widened his eyes in surprise since he had no idea that Eren actually had a good sense in what to wear. “Nice choice,” Levi said, successfully startling Eren again.

            “You need to stop doing that. One of these days I’m going to accidentally hit you with a rock. And thank you; the tunic feels a little heavy but that means that it should withstand some minor attacks and hits. I love it.” Eren smiled down genuinely at his outfit then his glanced at Levi. “Your choice of clothing is nice too. The boots and the different shades of red suit you very well.”

            “Thanks Kid. It won’t withstand much but it’s the only thing that will allow me to keep my speed and power.” Levi shrugged his shoulders casually as he said this and turned. “Oi, we should go and meet up in the kitchen for a briefing that Erwin is going to give everyone. If the Titans attack today, we need to be ready.”

            “Alright. Hey can I ask you something?” Eren said while walking to the exit next to Levi.

            “Tch. Make it fast.”

            “I think I deserved to be called Eren but you still call me Kid or Brat. I know why but it’s been over two months. Seriously, when will you use my real name?”

            Levi let out a dark laugh and playfully punched Eren in the arm a little harder than he meant to. Eren rubbed at his arm shyly while Levi answered him. “Simple. You haven’t matured enough. I’ll wait until I really have to. Think of it this way. Until I tell you that I’m going to call you by your name, I won’t say it unless it’s very important or urgent.”

            Levi walked back into kitchen with a smirk on his face while Eren grumbled behind him.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 23 on Saturday!!!  
> This fic will be over 30 chapters btw.   
> Consider this my present to you all; happy holidays!   
> Tell me what you think below or on my tumblr: 'chibinico' and thanks for all the hits/kudos/and comments.


	23. The Seaside Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the kitchen briefing. and action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me but this is also not one of the lengthy chapters unless you count nearly 2500 words as long.   
> Enjoy!!

 

            “Attention!” Erwin’s voice rang out over everyone gathered in the kitchen. Everyone stopped talking and looked up at Erwin. “Now that everyone is here, I’d like to start this briefing. Many of you don’t know this but it is important that you remember this. Last night, Eren had a vision about the very near future. Eren being the Avatar, I trust that this vision is true. There is a very real possibility that the Titans will attack today or tomorrow. If not today or tomorrow, sometime this week.” At this, everyone began talking loudly and skirting around. Levi stood up from his place next to Erwin and addressed the entire room.

            “OI! EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP. COMMANDER ERWIN ISN’T DONE TALKING.” As the crowd lowered their voices, Levi stopped shouting. “If you all calm you shit, you would here the plan of how not to die against the Titans. Your training won’t do you jack shit if you’re all running around alone.” Erwin glared at Levi for his language but Levi just sat down and shrugged his shoulders.

            “As Levi said, there is a plan of how to fight Titans that your training may or may not have covered. The key to killing a Titan is to take out the nape of the neck with a simultaneous blast from all four elements. Because of this, that means that you all will be cut into groups of four. Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Sasha, and Connie will all be one group. They are the only group of five because of Sasha and Connie’s ability to fight as one. Hanji, Levi, Hanji’s second-in-command Moblit Berner, and I will be the other team. I have begun evacuating the city with reinforcements who were called in last night. Not many people have evacuated yet so if the Titans do attack today, our first priority is the people’s safety. Questions?”

            Connie shot up immediately. “What about the town? Are we going to try and save it?”

            “No. Do whatever you must to stop the Titans unless it involves risking the safety of the citizens here.” Connie grinned and sat down. Next to stand was Eren.

            “What do you want me to do since I’m the Avatar?”

            “I want you to fight the Titans. If there’s a person that you can help before anyone of us can get there, help them. In order for us to be focused on evacuating the civilians, we need someone to keep the Titans at bay. Since you haven’t master all the elements though, keep Mikasa and Armin nearby.” Eren nodded and sat down. “Any other quest-“Erwin was interrupted as the door flew open and a young man with blonde hair and pronounced sideburns who couldn’t have been about a year older than Eren ran inside. He ran straight to Erwin, breathing hard.

            “The…the Titans are here! It’s not looking good out there, my squad can’t handle all this. There’s too many people to evacuate and the Titans are only interested in killing them. There’s a lot of Titans too; about thirty I think. We managed to take a couple out but our earthbender is dead so we lost our killing ability. Please sir we need help!” Erwin took in the man’s words and turned to address everyone.

            “You all know what to do. DEPLOY!” Everyone stood up and ran for the doors. When Eren reached outside he felt his heart drop. People were running down the main road, trying to make it past the Titans. He saw a mother pulling her little boy as they tried to flee but the boy tripped and a Titan closed in on them. The woman screamed as she pulled her son into her arms and tried to run, but the Titan was too close and grabbed the woman. Before he could register what he was doing, Eren ran to the woman and child and raised his arms. He bended the earth below him to raise him up on a pillar. Once high enough, Eren opened his water sacks and created a blade of water. He sliced the Titan’s arm and they began to fall from its hand. Armin suddenly came from behind and created a cushion of air for the woman to fall on. As soon as she hit the ground, she thanked Eren and Armin then sprinted out of the city with her child.

            “Eren!” He turned around to find Mikasa running towards them. “The main concentration of Titans is over there by the mountains. If we go on the roofs, we’ll be able to see where they are better.”

            “Okay. Hold on to me guys.” Eren jumped off his own earth pillar and grabbed onto his friends. He stomped the ground and was launched into the air again by another large earthen pillar. They landed on a roll on top of the nearest rooftop and began to run to the nearest group of Titans. They jumped off the roof they were running on as a Titan came by and swung its enormous misty hand. The entire building caught fire but the roof was completely gone.

            “Keep running Eren,” shouted Armin. “If it proves to be trouble, we’ll take it out!” Eren nodded and continued to run towards the concentration of Titans near the mountains. When they finally reached the Titans, Eren created an earth wall separating the fleeing humans and the Titans. Mikasa took the offensive and began firing blasts of deadly blue fire at each Titan. The Titans began to get annoyed with Mikasa’s blast and they started  to pursue her.

            “Mikasa! Lead them back to the city!” Eren shouted.

            “Are you crazy Eren? That’ll be endangering the others!”

            “We can’t kill them here though! There isn’t enough water for me to use!” Eren jumped up as a Titan swung at its legs while lifting a bolder from the ground. He flipped in a circle and brought the boulder down on the Titan’s face. It let out a wail and a red substance oozed out of its face. Eren landed on his feet and ran toward Mikasa and Armin who were trying to keep three Titans at bay. “We have their attention, now we need to leave!”

            “Eren’s right Mikasa,” Armin shouted. “We need to get to the water so that we can actually kill these damn things.” Mikasa gritted her teeth but began to run down the road back into the town behind Eren and Armin. As they ran, the Titans followed them eagerly. Eren mashed his teeth together harder than he should but kept running. He stopped briefly and launched him, Armin, and Mikasa into the air again. As they flew through the air, Mikasa and Armin let a bending fury pass. Mikasa blasted fire non-stop through her hands and feet, hitting the Titans and burning their faces repeatedly. Armin let out blades or air that sliced the Titans up and down while extinguishing the fire inside them. They landed on the roofs still fighting briefly before sprinting to the beaches.

            By now, more than just the group of Titans from the mountains were following the three. They had about half of the Titans following them but there was no way that the trio could fight off all fifteen by themselves.

            “Guys,” Armin shouted. “There’s no way we can fight off fifteen Titans on our own. We need help!”

            Eren shouted in agreement to Armin and stopped running. He thrust his hands out for Mikasa and Armin to stop. They nearly crashed into Eren but soon they understood why. They were completely surrounded by Titans. Eren let out a frustrated scream as loud as he could before he let his body take over. His hands acted as if they had minds of their own and he began to push back all the Titans with a ring of water. Mikasa and Armin soon joined him in pushing back the Titans with rings of air and fire. The Titans, however, were not phased and continued to push forward. Mikasa stopped her ring of fire and yelled in defiance. She thrust her fingers into the air next to her and created a sinister bolt of lightning. She yelled again and pushed her hands apart, each other releasing an arc of lightning. The lightning had a better effect on the Titans and some nearest to them took a step back. A titan with messy blonde hair and a tall, misty, woman-like, black body stepped forward. Eren bended a water whip at its face but the Titan dodged it. Eren gaped at the Titan in surprise. He had never seen or even heard of Titans dodging attacks. The Titan in turn raised its hand and swung at the house they were currently standing on. The roof became unsteady and the small trio went wide-eyed with fear. The Titan with the blonde hair twisted its face into a smile and lunged at them. Eren thought fast and struck the roof. A hole opened beneath their feet and they all tumbled to the ground. At least that was what Eren had assumed had happened. Mikasa and Armin had indeed fallen to the ground but Eren was hanging upside down. He cracked his eyes open and saw that the blonde Titan had a firm hold on his leg.

            “Shit!” Eren wiggled around trying to free himself but quickly stopped when a feeling of freezing cold coursed through his leg. The freezing feeling was immediately replaced by heat and Eren let forth a gurgling cry. “AGHH! FUCK!”

            “EREN! NO!” Mikasa screamed. Armin tried to restrain her from running up to the Titan but he was having a hard time as Mikasa thrashed and pushed at him, desperately trying to free herself to save Eren. “LET HIM GO YOU BITCH!” Mikasa roared. The Titan dropped its smile as if it was offended by what Mikasa said and raised Eren in her hand. The Titan then moved him across its body and threw Eren with enough force that he went flying. Eren’s mind was racing in a hundred different directions but the immense waves of pain coming from his entire right leg where enough for him to forget completely what he was even doing. When Eren heard Mikasa’s screams of horror, he snapped out of his muddled mind. He waved his arms frantically through the air and managed to make a make-shift rock armor to cover his legs, arms, and head and curl himself into a ball. Eren’s make-shift armor managed to shield most of him as he flew through the walls of a small wooden house. It did not, however, stay intact enough to stop him on the sand on the beach. In fact after Eren flew through the house, he rolled quickly down the sandy cliff and fell into the water.

-X-

            Above ground, Mikasa screamed in dread as she saw Eren’s body fly through the air and through a house. Before she could help it, fat tears began streaking down her face as she saw Eren fall limply off the sandy cliffs.  A hole in the ground opened up next to her and Armin and Sasha and Connie popped up with Hanji and Levi.

            “What the hell happened? You guys were doing so well,” Levi exclaimed. He quickly observed the scene from their perspective and noticed that Eren was not with them. “Where’s Eren?” Mikasa choked back a sob and looked at her leader.

            “H-He’s…”Mikasa let another sob rip through her and Armin tried to speak for her despite his own tears.

            “He- he’s dead.” At this, everyone widened their eyes except for Levi.  As Armin explained what happened to Eren, Levi stared at the ground, letting waves of anger, pain, and hopeless longing wash over him. Mikasa turned on Armin and forced him up.

            “HE’S NOT DEAD, I CAN FEEL IT. THEIR’S NO WAY HE’S DEAD FROM THAT. MY BROTHER IS THE TOUGHEST PIECE OF SHIT I KNOW AND THERE’S NO WAY HE’S GOING TO DIE FROM THAT. HE’LL COME BACK; JUST WATCH!” Mikasa had pushed Armin to a stable wall and her eyes blazed with determination, much like Eren’s.

            “Mikasa,” Levi ordered. “Let Armin go. If Eren is still alive, then he’s drowning right now. We need to kill the Titans surrounding us so we can go and save him.” Mikasa let Armin go and turned to face Levi.

            “I have an idea of how to take them all out except for that blonde bitch,” she spat. “Since we have two firebenders, one of us will draw the Titans in so that they face us. While their backs are turned, Sasha will create a wall behind them so they can’t move. After she makes the wall, she’ll open up a hole under the firebender inside so that their safe. Once she’s done with that, Hanji, Armin, Sasha, and one of us will kill all the Titans in a sweep. The plan won’t work on the blonde Titan because that one has intelligence. It dodged one of Eren’s attacks before it grabbed him and threw him. I’ll make it pay and burn it to Hell,” she said darkly.

            “Mikasa,” Hanji said gently. “I think your plan will work but what will we do about the blonde Titan? If it has intelligence, it may try to stop us.”

            “I’ll keep her occupied.”

            “No,” Levi said forcefully. Mikasa looked at him in confusion. “You’ve been fighting and running for the past three hours straight. You should be the decoy to lure in the other Titans so you can regain your strength. I’ll take care of the bitch who might have killed Eren. Once the other Titans are gone, you and I will both personally teach it a lesson about messing with anyone from the Survey Corps,” Levi said maliciously. Mikasa nodded at him, defiance shining in her eyes. Levi faced his small group. “MOVE OUT!” They all let out a roar and ran out of the house to charge the Titans.

-X-

            Eren was sinking. He could feel his body sinking in the water and betraying him but he couldn’t do anything about it. His arms felt like lead and his legs hurt from running. His eyes were opened to just a crack and he saw the town he learned to call home over the past two months go up in smoke, just like Trost and Shiganshina. As the air continued to leave his body and his vision began to dim, he looked up to see the burning sky once more and thought to himself.

            “ _I’m not going to make it. I was the worst Avatar. But I can’t move my arms or legs anymore. I’m sorry Mikasa.”_ Eren’s arms fell onto his chest and the darkness overtook him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 24 tomorrow!  
> Leave a comment to tell me what you thought of today's chapter!   
> Thanks for all the kudos, comments, and just reading in general.


	24. The End of the Seaside Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren is drowning while Levi and Hanji are fighting for their lives. Only one will emerge victorious from their battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another monster of nearly 4K words! The next few chapters end the Seaside Town arc but I won't say much. Enjoy!!

 

             The world that Eren knew was black. He could feel his life drifting away from him as the cold water sapped away his little amounts strength left; he was going to die soon. Then he heard a voice.

            “Eren, get up. We still have work to do. It’s not time for you to die.” Eren recognized that voice. It was the same voice that had been plaguing his dreams for months. His eyes snapped open in an instant. The water irritated his eyes but he forced himself to find the woman the voice belonged to. Eren looked up as there was an arc of lighting from the sky above and when Eren looked down again, a lady dressed in blue robes with short black hair and light brown eyes with freckles sprayed across her cheeks floated before Eren.

            Unable to speak, Eren knitted his eyebrows in confusion. “My name is Ilse Langnar and I am the Avatar before you.” At this, Eren widened his eyes and tried to move but he couldn’t feel his arms or legs. “I know you are weak and you can’t move Eren but I can give you that strength back. In order to save yourself, you must go into the Avatar State. You don’t have the energy to do it and you haven’t mastered enough elements to do much damage but if you take my hand, I’ll take over your body and lead you into the Avatar State. You can trust me and I will only kill the Titans.” Ilse looked up and at Eren again, slightly more agitated. “Eren, you only have now to choose. If you wait any longer, I can’t guarantee the safety of your friends and family. They need you now or they will die so please. Take. My. Hand.”  Ilse thrust her hand out to Eren and he concentrated on moving his arm. Slowly inch by inch, he closed the gap between them and latched onto Ilse. “Thank you Eren.”

            Suddenly, Eren felt like he was kicked out of his own body as Ilse took over. He watched from the sidelines as she bended the water from his mouth and began to move his arms. A water spout began to form and when Eren looked at his eyes, they were glowing that strange bright blue color. He watched as his body shot up out of the water and into the air. Ilse navigated through the water perfectly and brought them down to land. Then, like it was nothing, he bended all the four elements into a deadly whip and lashed at the nearest Titan. That Titan crumbled to dust and it just so happened to be the one with the blonde hair. As Ilse began to run towards the other Titans left, Eren glanced back at his friends. Everyone but Levi and Hanji were down. Levi was shaking them while yelling their names, but no one stirred. Eren wanted to go to them but Ilse spoke to him before he had the chance.

            “Eren if you leave, I can’t sustain this body. I’ll be as quick as possible but you must stay here.” Eren grit his teeth but stayed put. Ilse grinned and shot a blast of water on the ground in front of her. She froze the water and slid down the beach until she found the next collection of Titans. She stomped on the ground with Eren’s right leg and he winced slightly as a pillar of earth shot them into the sky. They landed on a roll on the rooftops and ran towards the Titans. A titan with a smile on its face swung its arm on the roof they were running on but Ilse merely jumped up and with another four element whip, the Titan fell on the house, slowly dissolving. The final set of Titans were angry and walking towards Eren’s body in a messy line. Eren spoke up to Ilse after seeing the danger.

            “You can’t fight them all. We need to get some help.” Ilse let out a laugh from Eren’s lips and grinned.

            “You’re the Avatar, Eren. You can do anything!” Just then, she dropped into the ground and pushed herself through the earth. In the moment of temporarily blindness, Eren looked at his hands and to his surprise, they were see through. He was a spirit. Ilse opened the ground and stepped back into the light and Eren looked back up at the Titans. Ilse chuckled and twirled her arms. An air spout lifted Eren’s body into the air and Ilse swung his arms back, creating the deadly whip once again. She yelled and thrust out her hands. The whip jerked forward with so much force, it went through Titan after Titan until they were all on the ground dissolving.

            “Ilse!” Eren spoke. “That was amazing! You have to teach me that whip sometime. Bu there are more important matters. Can you take me back to the beach please?” Ilse nodded but then her eyes widened as her entire form glitched.

            “Oh shit. Eren,” she said panicked. “I can’t stay much longer but I’ll do my best to get you there. Hang on and be ready, you might end up taking the wheel pretty soon.” Ilse sped towards the beach on the air spout but they kept wavering through the air as Ilse’s form continue to flicker. “Eren. Whenever you need to talk to me, just look within yourself. I’m your past life so I am a part of you.” They finally made it to the beach and this time, Eren saw that it was still just Levi and Hanji, but they weren’t trying to wake anyone up anymore. As Eren’s body moved closer, they looked up and widened their eyes. “Eren! Take…control,” Ilse said in a strained voice. Then she flickered out and as if a cord snapped, Eren was flung back into his body.  He immediately felt the heaviness of it and he was pulled out of the Avatar State. The air spout carrying him evaporated and Eren was falling through the air, losing consciousness once again.

            “EREN! Eren wake up!” He could hear worried shouts but they were turning into whispers. Suddenly, his body was being tackled into the sand and he opened his eyes to see Levi’s worried face, inches from him.

            “Eren! You need to wake up, please! Eren please wake up!” Levi grabbed his shoulders and gently shook him. “Hanji!” he roared. “Hanji get over here! Eren’s alive!” Levi turned his head back and cupped Eren’s face with his hands. Eren felt warm splashes of water hit his cheeks and run into his hair. Eren cracked an eye open as Levi stared back at him, trying to communicate a message through his eyes. Levi’s eyes were shiny as if they were shedding tears but they were still filled with determination. “Eren please stay with me okay? It’s going to hurt I know, but please just try okay?”

            “Okay Levi,” Eren whispered, but then he slipped into the darkness and did not resurface.

            “Eren? I can’t lose you too, Eren. EREN!” Levi shook his shoulders but Eren did not wake up.

            “Levi! Stop shaking him! It may trigger the Avatar State again!” Hanji ran over to Levi and grasped his arms. Levi resisted Hanji’s grasp and jerked under the restraints but slowly he calmed down and Hanji released him. Levi looked down at Eren, who was resting comfortably in his lap, and squeezed his eyes shut. “Levi what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

            “No I’m fine,” Levi let out in a hoarse whisper. “It’s deeper than I thought, Hanji.”

            “Levi hold on a second, Erwin is flying over on his glider.” Levi glanced up to see what Hanji was talking about. Erwin glided toward them and landed on a run.

            “The Titans have all been killed. I’m not sure how exactly though, with those numbers we may have been overtaken. Where is your squad team, Levi?”

            “They’re alive but out cold. Connie has a broken leg and Sasha has a concussion. Hanji laid them over there,” he said while pointing to where his new comrades laid. “Eren did it. He killed the rest of the Titans because he went into the Avatar State. It was probably too much because he is also out.” Erwin raised his eyebrows.

            “Erwin,” Hanji interjected. “We have other pressing matters.” Hanji beckoned for both Erwin and Levi to follow her. Reluctantly, Levi moved Eren’s head from his lap and stood to follow Hanji. As they walked along, Levi realized that they were coming to the place where Eren killed the blonde Titan. In place of where the blonde Titan dissolved, a giant ice cage was erected. Inside the cage was a sleeping blonde teenage girl. “ _That_ is the pressing matter. She came out of the Titan as it dissolved but she hasn’t woken yet.” Erwin looked sharply at Hanji.

            “Keep tabs on her. I’m going back to our base to get wagons. We are relocating to Ba Sing Se as soon as possible. We need to reunite the Earth Kingdom parties and explain what’s been going on. And keep this quiet; don’t tell anyone about her unless it’s absolutely necessary. Bring Eren and the others to the house and then I want you to search the city for anyone else like the girl.” Erwin opened his glider and flew away, over the wreckage of the town.

            As soon as Erwin was out of earshot, Hanji jumped on Levi. “What’s wrong, you said it’s deeper than you thought? What’s deeper? Are you cut somewhere?”

            Levi let out a sigh and sat down on the ground. “It’s Eren. I thought I liked him as a friend but it’s deeper than I thought. When I saw him falling from the sky…” Levi ran a hand over his face. “I can’t do anything about it though, not yet at least since he’s only seventeen.” Hanji let out a hum of understanding.

            “If you want to know if the feeling’s mutual, I’ll see how he feels about you during lessons. Eren tells me practically everything,” Hanji said proudly. “Now help me load your squad into the wagons when Erwin gets back.

            “You’re a weak piece of shit you know that Hanj?” Hanji laughed loudly at Levi’s half-assed retort and slapped him on the back.

            “There’s the Levi I know and love!”

-X-      

            The wagon jostled and lurched its way along the remains of the destroyed road to the house, now a gathering point for any survivors. Levi grit his teeth every time his eyes would involuntarily drift over to Eren’s sleeping figure. He clenched his hand into a fist and huffed. Hanji slid her hand over Levi’s fist and gave him a worried look.

            “I’m fine Hanji,” Levi spat out. Hanji didn’t say anything or move her hand has she nodded at Levi. They came up to the remains of the relatively undamaged house and began to carry Levi’s squad from the wagon to the inside of the house. Levi lifted Eren up in his arms and walked into the main room. He laid Eren gently down on the couch and placed a blanket over him before walking back to Hanji to help her bring everyone else inside.

            Levi and Hanji struggled to carry everyone in without accidentally hurting them but they eventually got everyone inside. They placed Mikasa and Armin next to Eren and Sasha and Connie on their own couch. After leaving them in the room, they left to go and search the city like Erwin had asked. They walked down the path back to the town and Levi struck up a conversation.

            “Who was the blonde girl in the cage?” he inquired.

            “I’m not sure. She came out of the Blonde Titan after it dissolved. I’ve never seen that happen before. She was unconscious so I have to wait until she is functioning again before I can question her.” A tense silence fell over the both of them as they approached the cage of the blonde girl. She lay on her side breathing slowly, obviously in a deep sleep. “She won’t wake up anytime soon,” Hanji declared. “I say we move on from here and search the town. If we come across anything, it’s better to be together as a team rather than individuals.”

            “Okay.” Levi glared at the sleeping girl with all his ferocity but relented as Hanji placed a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. Levi relaxed his features and let out a deep sigh as they walked away from the girl. “Where are we going first?”

            “The market square,” Hanji decided. “There may have been people who couldn’t escape their homes in the rush out.” They walked to the square and began to check doors. Levi would open doors and light a small flame for light as Hanji thoroughly scoped each room. On the fifth door they opened, they found someone. A little girl with straight brown hair was curled up under a table in the corner of the room. Hanji beckoned for Levi to follow her with the light to the girl. The little girl’s head shot up as she heard the two adults approach. She crawled from under the table, stood up, and ran towards them. Hanji was about to open her arms to embrace the little girl when Levi shoved her to the side and grabbed the little girl’s arm.

            “Levi! Let her go!” Hanji shouted.

            “She’s armed Hanji,” Levi replied. He shook the little girl’s arm and the knife she was holding clattered to the floor. Now he faced the girl and spoke to her sternly. “Where is your family and why did you try to attack my comrade and me?”

            The little girl struggled and squirmed in Levi’s grasp and tried to escape but Levi held her firm. Finally she let out a cry and sat down. “No more Titan people!” she cried out. At this Hanji widened her eyes and moved to sit down next to the little girl.

            “What did you say honey?” Hanji asked sweetly. She nudged Levi and he let go of the little girl as she began to tell her story.  

            “No more Titan-people! I was wit’ my mommy and we were leaving but then this Titan came in front of us. Something made it dissolve an’ a boy wit’ brown or black hair came out of it. He started walking toward us and he tried to say something to us but my mommy took me and ran.” The little girl began to cry as she continued her story of how she came to be in the house. “Then my mommy got hit with something and-and she fell. Red stuff started comin’ out of her head an’ I tried to wake my mommy up but she didn’t wake up.” The little girl burst out crying and Hanji mumbled soothing words to her as she rubbed the little girl’s back.

            “It’s okay sweetie. Just tell me how you got here.”

            “The boy wit’ the black hair found me. I was in the road an’ then he found me. He took my hand an’ led me here. Then he gave me a knife and said don’t trust nobody who came in.”

            “Where is the black haired man now?” Levi asked.  

            “He fell over there,” the girl said while pointing to a corner. “It’s like mommy but there’s no red stuff. He just won’ wake up.” The little girl clutched Hanji’s arm as Levi stood up and walked to the corner she pointed to. He lit his hand up and there was indeed an unconscious boy with black hair on the floor. He was rather tall and lanky but he was like the blonde girl, sleeping.

            “Hanji, there’s a guy here. The girl’s story is true,” he said bleakly.

            Hanji nodded and continued to press the girl. “Did the man say anything to you before he didn’t wake up?”

            “He said don’t trust nobody except for anothe’ guy wit’ blonde hair an’ brown eyes.” The girl buried her face in Hanji’s sleeve again as Hanji and Levi began to discuss things.

            “Do you think that this other guy with blonde hair and brown eyes is a Titan person?” Levi asked.

            “Nearly positive,” Hanji confirmed. “I think we should go and look for this third guy.”

            “What about the girl and this guy here?”

            “Shit I forgot we can’t just leave her here.” Hanji tapped her head in thought and spoke up soon after. “I’ll take the girl to Erwin and see what he wants to do. You in the meantime take the man over there to the blonde girl’s cage. If they know each other, we may have a lead. After I get back, we’ll go looking for the third person. Sound good?”

            “Yeah that’s a good plan.” Levi replied. He swiftly extinguished his flame and stooped down to pick up the tall black haired man. Hanji picked the little girl up and began to leave the house, all the while asking the little girl more questions.

            “What’s your name sweetie?”

            “Hannah.”

They were gone before Levi could catch any more of their conversation so he simply swung the man across his shoulders and walked out of the little room. He grunted in pain as the man bore down on his shoulders. Levi’s mind found itself always drifting back to Eren if he wasn’t careful again so he thought about the girl and the man on his shoulders. Now that Levi actually thought about it, the man wasn’t even really a man. He looked like a kid who couldn’t be more than eighteen years old. As Levi approached the blonde girl’s cage, he failed to see that she had moved from her spot as he was deep in thought. 

            Levi began to speak aloud as he took the boy off his shoulders and set him on the ground. “Why are they so young? Why would they even be Titans? Isn’t that impossible? Titans are spirits aren’t they?” He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. There were so many questions and so few answers and those few answers only led to more questions. Levi glanced at the girl’s cage and noticed she wasn’t sleeping anymore. The girl was sitting upright and gritting her teeth hard; it was as if she was trying to keep down bile in her throat. Her eyes were a stunning blue and were fully opened while her brows were furrowed intensely. Her hands were clenched into fists so tightly, Levi was sure that she had already dug into her skin with her nails. Her hair was a mess on her head as she began to shake in place. Levi backed up and addressed her now, feeling that something was wrong.

            “Oi, what are you doing? Answer me!” Levi’s orders were simply ignored as the entire ice cage began to shake. “Cut that out. Listen to me damn it!” The girl finally recognized Levi was speaking and she made eye contact to send a very clear message.

            _I’m sorry._

            The girl’s features went slack for only a moment before the shrillest cry Levi had ever heard escaped from her mouth. The ice around her shattered and tore into Levi’s skin. As if the girl herself exerted a gust of wind from her scream, Levi was pushed to the floor. He looked up wildly to see what was happened and was terrified at what he saw. The girl’s body was limp but the scream kept coming from her lips. She began to glow and was rising in the air. Suddenly, Levi heard two more screams add to the girl’s. They were both deeper but just as ear-piercing. Levi quickly looked down at the boy he had carried here. The boy’s eyes were wide but blank of emotion, as if he was doing this without a choice. He too began to glow, brighter and brighter. The glow was familiar and Levi realized it was the same bright color Eren’s eyes had turned when he emerged from the water. The boy glowed so brightly that Levi had to turn away but while Levi turned his head, the two masculine screams he heard stopped completely. He whipped his head around again but the boy was gone. There was no trace that he had ever even been there had Levi not have carried him there.

            “What the fuck is going on?” Levi shouted to the girl who was still screaming. As the girl looked at him, Levi felt his legs give out although he wasn’t sure of the reason why. When he glanced down, he nearly choked on his own spit as he saw that he too was glowing like the boy. His legs were getting harder to see and feel. Levi felt a similar sensation in his arms and to his horror he realized that his entire body was glowing like the other boys. Frustrated, he let out a loud scream that he knew would alert Hanji wherever she was that something was happening to him. As Levi continued to scream, he saw his legs disappear but he _felt_ them appear somewhere else. The next to go was his arms but like his legs, he felt them appear somewhere else. Finally the light from his own body was too much and he closed his eyes while gritting his teeth. There was a moment of silence, then Levi was flung into a very cold void and reunited with his other limbs. As soon as Levi was one being again, he felt the air warm and he plummeted down towards the ground. He opened his eyes and gritted his teeth when he realized that he was too close to the ground to do anything. He would have to cushion his landing somehow but there was no time to do much before the ground met Levi. He bent his knees to try and absorb the impact of the ground but his left knee wasn’t bent enough. As Levi landed, he heard a popping sound and a coursing river of pain ran up his left leg. He fell and rolled to the side, clutching his left leg.

            “Shit,” he muttered and looked down his leg. His ankle felt unnaturally loose and suddenly his boot was too tight to fit his foot. He managed to ignore some of the pain going through his system, and took in his surroundings. The boy he carried was a few feet away from him along with another boy with blonde hair. Levi looked to the cloudy brownish sky as the girl with blonde hair fell towards the ground. There were some thorny bushes where she would land and Levi weakly raised his hand to burn the bushes away. He grunted and threw his fist but no fire came out. He tried several more times but he couldn’t even light a flame in his own palm. The girl fell into the thorny bushes without so much of even a yell of pain and Levi realized that everyone else was unconscious again.

            “What the hell is this place?” he muttered to himself. Just then the little ounces of strength Levi had left disserted him and his head dropped to the ground. His eyes closed and he drifted under the heavy spell of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 25 Saturday!!   
> Tell me what you think about where this fic is going or how you liked the chapter and I'll do my absolute best to answer you all!  
> Thanks for all the hits/kudos/and comments! They are all appreciated. I track the tag 'fic: my bending master' on tumblr and you can find me at 'chibinico'


	25. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the aftermath of the battle and things do not go well for anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me for the angst-it's completely necessary. Enjoy!

            When Hanji and Hannah reached the house, Erwin was inside with a little boy with dark skin who seemed very agitated. Hannah was babbling on about something in Hanji’s arms but she stopped talking when she saw the boy.

            “Franz!” Hannah called out. The boy looked up and his face brightened.

            “Hannah!” He ran towards the girl in Hanji’s arms while Hannah struggled to be put down. Hanji stopped walking and placed Hannah on the ground just as Franz ran up and gave her a big bear hug. “My dad and I were looking for you! Come on, our wagon is going to leave soon.” Franz tugged on her hand and Hannah grasped it firmly as she let him lead her to Erwin. “Thank you Mister Smith for your hospitableity, I think. It was a word like that one but I don’t remember it.” Franz bowed and Hannah bowed to Hanji before they both ran off. Hanji walked back to the front door to see them off but the smile was off her face when she heard the screaming.

            “Erwin! Do you hear that?” she called out. Erwin walked out to Hanji and knitted his eyebrows at the shrill, never ending shrieks.

            “Something’s not right. Didn’t you send Levi to guard them though?”

            “I did and I-“Hanji was cut off mid-sentence by a loud, deep scream that belonged to Levi. She and Erwin both raised their eyebrows and widened their eyes but the Levi’s screaming did not cease. “Erwin we have to go now. Levi may be in trouble. Leave Moblit in charge while we’re gone.” Hanji didn’t wait for Erwin’s approval before tearing off down the sidewalk and sprinting to where the blonde girl and Levi where. As she bounded across the final corner, Levi’s screams abruptly stopped. She took in the scene but there was very little evidence that something had happened. The ice cage she made earlier was shattered and bits of sharp ice littered the ground. It felt as if something big had happened but Hanji couldn’t be sure. Hanji sunk to her knees and pressed her hands to her eyes.

            Levi was gone.

            Erwin flew down from his glider and landed with a soft thud next to Hanji. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and Hanji jumped to his touch. She looked at him, tears threatening to overflow, and stood up. “He’s gone Erwin,” she said her voice wavering.

            “He’s not dead Hanji. He was most likely taken. We need to search the area; they could not have gotten far. Let’s meet up,” Erwin checked the time,” at 5:00, no matter what we find, at the house.” Hanji nodded and ran off the street into an alley. Erwin opened his glider and flew above the city to search.

-X-

            By 5:00 at the house, Armin and Mikasa had waken from their unconscious states and were taking turns watching Eren. Together they had managed to treat Eren’s horrible burn on his right leg but it would leave a nasty scar. He had other cuts and bruises but most of them were minor so they would heal on their own later. Armin was in the kitchen coaxing food into a very stressed and worry ridden Mikasa when Hanji and Erwin burst in, their faces grim. Mikasa pounced on them at once.

            “What happened and how is Eren even here? I thought… I thought he drowned.”

            “Follow me, all of you,” Erwin commanded. Mikasa glared at Erwin but said nothing and walked back into the main room, where Eren, Sasha, and Connie were. Hanji immediately began administering first aid to Connie after seeing his broken leg.

            “Armin,” Hanji called out. “Help me set Connie’s leg.” Armin nodded and walked over as Erwin began to talk.

            “As for what happened to Eren, only a select few know that this even happened, so bear this in mind. After Eren fell into the water, according to Hanji’s account at least, he went into the Avatar State. Are you familiar with the term?” Mikasa nodded but Erwin explained anyway. “It’s a defense mechanism in which all the knowledge and power of the past avatars is embodied and coursing through your own body; it’s seen when the eyes or airbending tattoos glow. But Eren went into the Avatar State and miraculously defeated the rest of the Titans. He passed out afterwards understandably but his wounds were ignored during the fight. Returning to normal, the waves of pain must have knocked him out, especially with a burn like that.” In the pause of Erwin’s story, Hanji and Armin reset Connie’s leg and he let out a yell.

            “Shhh, it’s alright Connie. The hardest part is over now. I’m just going to heal you now okay?” Hanji continued to talk to Connie softly, allowing Erwin to continue.

            “There was also a discovery made but as for now only Hanji, Levi, and I know about it. We are going to tell the rest to the other branches of the Survey Corps when we move.”

            “Mister Erwin sir,” Armin began as he took a seat next to Mikasa. “Excuse me for interrupting but this discovery has something to do with Squad Leader Levi right? I noticed that he didn’t return with you. Is he alright?”

            “I guess there really isn’t a point in keeping a secret from you two if you already figured this much out. This is an order though, you are not to tell anyone about what has happened.”

            “What about Eren?” Mikasa asked. “Can I tell him?”

            “I’ll let you decide after I tell you what’s going on. It depends on how he takes the news.” Erwin cleared his throat and stared grimly at Armin and Mikasa. “After you and the others tried to defeat the blonde Titan, Eren in the Avatar State managed to do it himself. As the Titan dissolved though, a girl with blonde hair fell out of the body and was captured. We’ve never heard of such a thing and there’s a lot of new questions but that wasn’t all. Apparently there were two others like her in the town who fell out of their Titan forms. Hanji and Levi had found a little girl and one of the supposed Titan-people.  Hanji brought the little girl back here while Levi brought the boy to the where the blonde girl was. He was supposed to wait until Hanji returned to search for the third Titan-person but when Hanji was here, she and I both heard Levi’s scream. She ran to where he was but he was gone, along with the boy and the blonde girl. We both searched the entire town but there’s no sign of them or the third Titan-person. As of right now, we have no idea where Levi or the Titan-people are.”

            “L-Levi’s missing?” Everyone wiped their heads around to Eren’s voice. He had thrown his arm over his eyes but his frustration was obvious just by the rest of his body being so tense. “Damn it,” he whispered. “DAMN IT! He can’t be missing. Fuck this.” Eren threw his arm from over his eyes to the couch to push himself up despite everyone’s disapproval. He swung his legs over and winced at the movement in his right leg. Glancing down, he saw that it was wrapped but he could feel the burn on his leg. He let out a deep breath and shakily stood up. He teetered and nearly fell but he forced himself to stay up.

            “Eren sit down, you aren’t healed yet!” Mikasa yelled at him.

            “I really don’t care Mikasa. I need to find Levi because if we leave here, he’s not going to be found! I’m not going to let him die in some god forsaken place because we couldn’t spare the energy to find him.” Eren tried to brush past Mikasa but she grabbed his arm tightly.

            “Why is he so important to you? You were never like this before, not even to Mom! Damn it Eren, do you know what it’s like to lose your first family, second family, and then your only hope left? Do you?” Mikasa shouted at Eren. The rest of the room went silent as her eyes began to water. “You almost died! I-I almost lost you today and I don’t know what I would’ve done if I did. I can’t lose you Eren so please, sit down and _wait_ until you’re healed, damn it! I promise once you’re at least like eighty percent better, I’ll go with you to search for Levi. Just…just get better first okay?” Mikasa was speaking in barely a whisper at the end and she pulled Eren close to her before she let her walls down and began to cry heart wrenching sobs into Eren’s chest. Eren instinctively wrapped his arms around Mikasa and rested his cheek on her head. He didn’t say anything but just embraced his sister and hugged her close.

            Eren still didn’t say anything as he led Mikasa down the battered hallway to the remainder of his and Levi’s room. He walked her over to the bed and sat down, placing her in his lap. She continued to sob into his chest as she held him close. Eren didn’t try to stop Mikasa’s crying and let her wet his chest until she didn’t have any more tears left to shed. As Mikasa continued to cry, Eren noticed that his shirt was torn up in places and his shoes were goners. His white pants were barely white with the array of mud and blood, which he assumed was his own, on them. Levi would probably help him get the stains out with his homemade laundry detergent…

            Levi was missing. He wouldn’t be able to help Eren at all. Eren looked down at Mikasa, trying not to be taken away by the wave of sadness currently washing over his brain. Mikasa had stopped her heart wrenching sobs into Eren’s chest but she still held him close.

            “You never answered my question Eren,” Mikasa said quietly without looking at him.

            “Which one?”

            “Why is Levi so important to you? I really have never seen you like this before.”

            Eren shuffled his feet and stayed quiet but he knew the answer deep down. He loved Levi, the man who never called him by his name and who forced him to carry him on his shoulders to clean the ceiling because Eren apparently did a shit job. The man who was much older than Eren but still tended to act immature when he wanted to. The man who never failed to be there for Eren when he woke up in the middle of the night screaming. The man who never stopped amazing Eren every single day.

            The man who was gone.

            As Mikasa looked up at her brother, a warm drop of salty water hit her face. Eren couldn’t stop the tears from flowing but he did his best. “I-I know he would do the same for me and…” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

            “Eren?” Mikasa asked gently.

            “I love him Mika. I love him and his gone.” Mikasa widened her eyes with surprise and understanding. She slid her arms around his neck and gave him another hug while Eren broke down and sobbed into his sister’s shoulder.

            They stayed like that for a long time until they heard a knock at the door. Armin peeked his head open apologetically and addressed Eren. “Hanji needs to change your bandages on your leg. And uh, Erwin wants to find out what you want to do.”

            Eren cleared his throat and answered Armin. “We’ll be out in a minute.” Armin nodded and closed the door. “Guess you heard him Mikasa. Time to stop crying,” Eren tried weakly at humor.

            “You were the one doing most of the crying Eren,” Mikasa said with a small smile. She got off of Eren and he stretched his legs before standing up wobbly. She helped Eren walk to the door until he could walk okay on his own. They both walked into the main room with blank expressions and sat down where they were earlier. The sun was setting so Eren glanced at the clock to see the time. It was nearly eight meaning that he and Mikasa had been in his room for almost two hours. He glanced at Hanji who looked tired and angry but still gently began to undo his bandages.

            “It’ll be alright Hanji, I’m sure of it.” Eren said to her. He forgot that Levi was like Hanji’s brother so the news that he was missing didn’t settle very well with her.

            “Thanks Eren. Levi’s a tough nut though, he may be a midget but he’s still tough as nails. We’ll find him.” She said more to herself with a chuckle. The last of the bandages fell away and Eren saw his burn for the first time. It wrapped around his entire right shin and just above his knee. Hanji got out a green cream and applied some to the burn. After successfully sinking the cream into Eren’s skin, Hanji began to wrap the wound again.

            “Aren’t you going to use the special water from the healing hut?” Eren asked.

            “I can’t just yet. In order to do that, the skin has to grow back. It shouldn’t take too long, maybe about a week.” She turned around and walked into the kitchen before coming back with a crutch. “Use this when you move until I start healing with water. It’ll keep the weight off your injured leg.” Eren nodded and Hanji pushed her goggles above her eyes before turning and getting ready to walk down the hallway to her room.

Before she could walk away though, there was a knock at the door. Hanji opened the door and gasped before bringing in two boys Eren had never seen before. They were both pretty tall but one was shorter than the other. The shorter boy wore traditional airbending robes but had no tattoos. He had freckles scattered on his cheeks and black hair with tiny bangs parted in the middle of his face. The other boy had a snobby expression with tannish hair styled in an undercut. His face kind of reminded Eren of a horse and he could tell that the horse was a waterbender by his Northern Water Tribe outfit.  The boy with freckles stepped forward and walked directly to Eren.

            “You are the Avatar am I correct?” he asked.

            “Who wants to know?” Eren asked, not taking any chances.

            “My name is Marco Bodt from the Southern Air Temple. I am a guru and I felt a large spiritual disturbance coming from here. So tell me, are you the Avatar?”

            “Yes.”

            “Did you go into the Avatar State recently?” Marco asked.

            “Um,” Eren looked to Mikasa who was nodding her head. “Yeah I guess.”

            “Okay. I think I can help you master the Avatar State.”

            Eren’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open slightly. “But-how-I mean-what?” Eren spluttered.

            “I think this conversation will have to be held in the morning,” Erwin declared. “We leave early in the morning for Ba Sing Se but we all will need our strength. Everyone, bed! I’ll escort Marco and his friend to a guest room that hasn’t been completely destroyed.” Hanji chuckled at Erwin’s joke and lead the way to the rooms as everyone else followed behind her.

            When Eren reached his room, he closed the door and stared at Levi’s tidy half. He threw off his ripped tunic, pants, and shoes before crawling into Levi’s bed. He clutched at the blankets and pillows that all smelled like Levi. Before he knew it, the tears were already marking the pillows and he cried himself to sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 26 tomorrow!  
> Thanks for all the hits/kudos/comments! Let me know what you thought below or on my tumblr: 'chibinico'


	26. Where They Went

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where did Levi go and the others go? Somewhere Levi's not supposed to be, for sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are picking up... Enjoy!

Levi woke to the sounds of whispering. He rolled onto his stomach and glared at the offenders who were making noise. He closed his eyes and was about to call out to Eren and tell him to shut up but then like a slap in the face, he remembered the events of the day before. His eyes shot open and he took in his newest surroundings. He was in a cave of some sort. He figured that they were deep inside it since he saw no light indicating the entrance or exit. He sat up and the whispering coming from behind him ceased. Slowly, Levi pushed himself up onto his feet to stand up. The minute he put weight on his left foot, he gasped in pain and fell over. 

“Fuck. You’ve got to be kidding me,” Levi groaned. Behind him the whisperers approached him. At the sound of movement, Levi whipped his head around and startled the boy with black hair, whom he saved, that was approaching. “I know you.”

The black haired boy chuckled somberly. “You must hate me then. I saw that you fell. Did you break something on the fall here?” Levi looked quizzically at the boy but decided to get help first and question the rest later. 

“Yeah. I think I sprained my ankle. It’s swollen and just overall not right. If I tell you what materials I need, could you bring them to me?” The boy nodded his head and Levi began to list off the materials he needed to make a splint. “I’m going to need something strong and sturdy but can still bend. Maybe like tree bark or something. I’m also going to need something that can work as a cushion or pad and then just strong vines. Thank you.” The boy nodded and went to the back of the cave. He placed his hand against the base of a tree and immediately a large square of bark fell off the trunk. He did the same to some vines that where hanging overhead and they too immediately fell. As the boy went to get a cushion, Levi finally began to observe the little things about the people he was with. The blonde girl who was screaming and glowing was now sitting on the floor in front of a crackling fire with the tall blonde boy patting her shoulder. From what Levi could hear, he did have a keen sense of hearing after all, the blonde boy was trying to comfort the girl for something she did. 

“Here you go!” the black haired boy said happily as he returned. He placed all of Levi’s supplies on the ground and Levi got to work. First, Levi took off his boot and breathed in sharply when he saw that the injury was not as bad as he thought it to be. The ankle was still swollen but the tightness of his boot helped minimize the swelling from what it could’ve been. He placed the cushiony moss over the tree bark and moved it under his mid-calf to a little past his ankle. He breathed in sharply as the bark nudged his ankle but he pressed on with his makeshift splint. Then he bent up the edges of the tree bark and using the vines, he tied the sides together. 

“Hey,” Levi called out. He didn’t know the boy’s name but he certainly wasn’t about to call him Eren’s nickname. Luckily the black haired boy turned around with a cheery face and walked back over. “Do you think you could find some branches or something that would work as crutches?” The boy nodded as was off. Levi straightened up and looked around for his bag of essentials that he always carried with him. With a click of the tongue, he gritted his teeth and remembered that he had left the bag at the ice cage so now he didn’t have anything to help him in this strange place. The boy returned soon after Levi’s discovery and presented two fairly sturdy branches. The boy handed over the branches and helped Levi to his feet.

Levi teetered at first on the makeshift branches but was soon able to support himself and move around. He walked slowly to the girl and boy sitting by the fire with the black-haired boy behind him. Levi chose to sit on a log across from the three and eased himself down. “Do you mind if I ask you three a few questions?”

“Go ahead. You deserve to know,” the blonde girl answered. 

“Alright then, who are you? Where are we? Can I trust you? Why did you emerge from Titans? What do you know about the Titans?” The group of three kids all looked a bit startled at Levi’s questions but the blonde girl began to answer Levi.

“My name is Annie Leonhart. The tall one here with black hair is Bertolt Hoover and the tall one with blonde hair is Reiner Braun. As for where we are, it’s the Spirit World. Your bending doesn’t work here either just so you know. Trusting us is completely up to you but if I were you, I wouldn’t.” 

Levi furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and asked another question as Annie paused. “What do you mean by that? Does it have something to do with the Titans?”

This time Bertolt answered him. “Well, we three have been forcibly bonded to the Titans against our will.”

Levi widened his eyes at this new piece of information. “Humans can be bonded to Titans?”

“No,” Reiner said. “Humans can’t but spirits can.”

“So you three are spirits. But why can I see you? I thought only the Avatar could see and talk to spirits, let alone be in the Spirit World. I’m just a human.”

“That’s partially my fault,” Annie said. “It’s true that the Avatar is the only one to see and speak to spirits that linger in your world, unseen by most. You can see us and speak with us because you’re entire being is here. The Avatar sends his spirit into the Spirit World by using the Avatar State but you are completely here, body and spirit. When we were forced out of the Titan form by the Avatar in the physical world, that bond with the Titans that we have unfortunately sprang into action. You see out of the three of us, they use my ability to cause small portals between your world and this world to their advantage. I assume that you saw my eyes glow and I probably screamed; that was me being forced by the Titans to transport any spirit nearby back- namely any remaining Titans. Did you touch any of us?”

“Yeah, I carried Bertolt back to where you were.”

“That’s why you’re here then. By touching a spirit, I accidentally transported you here along with us. Sorry.” 

“That’s fine but how long can I stay here?”

“Um, humans aren’t really supposed to be in the Spirit World and eating our food might be bad for you,” Bertolt interjected. “I don’t know how long but I would say maybe seven days at most. But the time here is different; it goes faster. Seven days in the physical world is like three days in the Spirit World.”

“Annie,” Reiner interrupted. “Why can’t you use your portal powers to transport him back?”

“It takes time to generate the amount of power needed to do that and the guy’s in no shape to be left alone,” Annie snapped. “Not to mention that the Titans are currently controlling my source of power.”

“Wait a minute, what do you mean that you three have all been forcibly bonded to the Titans? Are they threatening you?” 

“Bertolt, Annie, and I are all spirits who look after portals to the physical world,” Reiner replied. “Our essences are intertwined with these portals and Annie’s gives her strength. However, about ninety days ago in physical time, the titans ambushed us, took us captive, and began to control our portals. This is how we’re bonded to them and it’s how the Titans keep attacking you more frequently. They’ve been manipulating us but we can’t fucking do anything or else we all die. If we die, the portals will malfunction and cause a rip between the two worlds; no matter what, we can’t let that happen.” Reiner paused and gritted his teeth while the weight of his words bore down on Levi. 

“So you three are spirits who were taken captive by the Titans and for the good of both worlds, you will unwillingly carry out their plans until you can find a way to overcome them and retake your portals. As for me, I have a week, three days here, to find some way to return home before I die here. Is that about right?” Levi summarized. The three across from him nodded their heads gravely and a heavy silence fell upon them for a good while. 

As the fire began to dim and the shadows grew long on the walls of the cave, Levi spoke and broke the suffocating silence. “My name is Levi Ackerman,” he said softly but loud enough for all three of the spirits to hear him. “I have made the choice to trust you all and I’m going to try to help you when I make it back to the physical world. I know the Avatar; he can try and help you guys if I tell him to.” Bertolt smiled and Reiner’s mouth was slightly parted like he couldn’t believe what Levi was saying. Annie however was gritting her teeth and her eyes were wide but her eyebrows were fiercely knit together. She clutched the sides of her head and she turned to face Levi.

“Get…out…Levi. The Titans…are going…to try…and capture…you…through us.” Levi narrowed his eyes at Annie but ultimately decided to heed her advice once she began moaning. Bertolt grasped Annie’s shoulders and shook her slightly. 

“Annie! Fight them! Hold them off as long as you can!” Then Bertolt looked at Levi who had gotten his crutches and began to limp to the mouth of the cave. “Levi! There’s a stream a ways down from here with another cave. Go there and you should be alright. We’ll meet you there la-“Bertolt’s eyes suddenly glowed white and he went limp for a moment before plastering an eerie smile on his face and standing up. Levi gritted his teeth and made his way to the mouth of the cave as Annie stopped moaning and stood with Bertolt with the same eerie smile on her face and white eyes.

They walked towards Levi and he knew that he wasn’t going to make it out of that cave. Just as he was out of Bertolt and Annie’s reach, Levi walked directly into Reiner. There was a searing stream of pain from his sprained ankle and Levi fell over. Reiner had the same smile and white eyes as he raised a thick branch he was hiding, and rammed Levi in the head. The last thing Levi saw was a flash of the physical world. Eren was curled up on a bed but the vision was gone before Levi could take in anything else. The last thing Levi heard though, was the sound of someone crying and Levi couldn’t help but feel a pang of hurt in his heart when he recognized that it was Eren crying.

-X-  
A soft hand shook Eren awake and he turned around in the mess of blankets to meet the person. It was Mikasa, who was fully dressed and ready to go. “Eren,” she said. “It’s time to get ready. We leave for Ba Sing Se in a ninety minutes.” 

Eren widened his eyes and shot up. “What about finding Levi?” Mikasa shrugged her shoulders and Eren scrambled out of the mess he made of Levi’s sheets. “I’ve got to go see Erwin!” 

“Eren!” Mikasa shouted as he bounded out the door towards Erwin’s intact office. He pounded on the door and strained his ears for an answer. 

“Come in.” Erwin’s deep voice sang out. Eren wasted no time and threw the door open before saluting Erwin. 

“Commander Erwin, I would like to know the progress of the search party for finding Levi.”

Erwin looked a bit surprised by Eren’s boldness in asking such a direct question but he covered his shock instantly. “We haven’t found him yet but I’m going to send Marco and Jean to the where Levi was last seen. If you want, you can go with them and bring Mikasa and Armin with you?”

“Okay sir.” Eren relaxed and sat down into one of Erwin’s comfortable chairs. He glanced to his right and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Hanji in the other chair with a blanket over her, sleeping.  
“Who’s Jean?”

“Jean is Marco’s partner, the man from last night who came in with Marco.” Eren nodded his head at Erwin’s words and a comfortable silence filled the air. Eren glanced down at his chest and realized that he had neglected to put any clothes on except for his underwear. He blushed and kept his head down in embarrassment. After sitting idly for a few minutes, Eren stood up and thanked Erwin for his time. He turned to leave the office to get ready and investigate Levi’s disappearance. When Eren was nearly at the doorframe, he felt a jolt run through his body and he began to fall. Instinctively, Eren threw his hands out and grabbed the wall with a loud slap, waking Hanji up and alerting Erwin. 

“Is something wrong Eren?” Erwin asked.

“N-no. At least I don’t think so,” Eren replied shakily. He had seen a vision of Levi. He was in a corner of some cave bound with shackles. Eren hadn’t been able to see anything else but he got the gist that Levi was in serious trouble. Eren closed the door to Erwin’s office behind him and gritted his teeth. He wasn’t sure why, but he could also tell that whatever was going on with Levi would end soon-and not in a good way. Eren had to figure out what he was going to do and quickly because he was already running out of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 27 Saturday! This fic is going to be so long, i love it! Also my holiday is over now so probably no surprise updates for a while. Happy New Years!  
> AND one more thing, formatting can kiss my ass. I will try to keep it like this for the rest of the fic but seriously...  
> Thanks for all the hits/kudos/comments! Tell me what you though below or on my tumblr, 'chibinico', if you want to.


	27. Divisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is divided and many things will happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay first off, this chapter was such a pain in the ass to write because I really didn't want to stretch out all the little cliff hangers in this long plot of mine so I'm cutting this arc a tad bit short. However because of that, this chapter turned into another fucking monster being past 4K.   
> I apologize in advance because I know that it may be a bit confusing to read so let me tell you this beforehand:  
> -Many things are going on at the same time. There are a lot of section breaks that jump to different characters but that's because a lot of things are happening simultaneously or almost simultaneously and it's a bit more realistic (at least I think so) to see them react as it's happening 
> 
> -There is a tiny time jump at the end. The jump itself is only three days but *tiny spoiler* the three days are in physical world time and therefore still simultaneously going along with the Spirit World's time*tiny spoiler over*
> 
> -I will provide a summary at the end in the notes. Hopefully you won't need it but...
> 
> Enjoy this monster chapter update!!

 

            “Marco! Wait a minute!” Eren called out while hastily running out of his room and slipping on a shirt. Marco turned and chuckled lightly at Eren. Eren finally managed to slide the shirt over his head and he came to a stop in front of Marco and Jean, while panting heavily. “Are you…going to where…they last saw Levi?”

            “No shit, dumbass,” Jean answered starkly. “We’re already outside. Are you stupid or something?” Jean rolled his eyes at Eren’s apparent stupidity and Eren was already irritated enough to let Jean’s comments get to him.

            “You want to go, Horse Face? I’m the fucking Avatar; I’ll wipe the floor with your ass.” Jean and Eren began to approach each other to duke it out but was stopped by Marco.

            “Jean! Cut that out,” Marco said sternly. Jean backed down and glared at Marco but then he softened his gaze and Marco planted a quick kiss on Jean’s cheek before turning and answering Eren. “We are actually going there. Come with us.”

            “Okay,” Eren replied sadly. Seeing Marco and Jean’s display of affection reminded him of his feelings for Levi. He followed behind Jean and Marco but came to a halt when he heard a voice. It was calling his name softly but he wasn’t sure who it was.

_Eren…Eren Jaeger…_

            Eren turned to tell Marco but quickly pushed it to the back of his mind as they had finally came to Levi’s final place. It wasn’t much for show either. He saw a base for an ice cage that was blown apart and a bag left on the ground but that was it. “There’s nothing here but frozen ice,” he said incredulously. Eren took a step forward and immediately collapsed.

            “Eren!” Marco shouted. He ran to him and picked him up but Eren’s head rolled limply. Then as if he had been hit with lightning, Eren straightened his body out and his eyes began to glow. An odd feeling of being as light as a feather came over Eren and he was lifted out of his body.

            “What the hell,” he muttered. Eren raised his hands to his face and saw that they were once again nearly transparent, just like when he had let Ilse take control of his body. “Where am I?”

            “Marco, what’s going on?” Jean asked, fear slowly creeping into his voice.

            “Eren just crossed over into the Spirit World but I’m not sure how.” Marco sounded slightly agitated and directed towards Eren but Eren deemed it justifiable. So he was in the Spirit World. Nothing had changed from physical world except now, Eren wasn’t seen. He trusted that Marco would take care of his body so Eren began to wonder around.

            “Eren!” A familiar voice rang out through the quiet town. Eren turned to find none other than Ilse Langnar bolting through the streets to him.

            “Ilse?” Eren called out.

            “Eren what are you doing here? Do you need help with something?” Ilse seemed genuinely curious but also irritated of Eren’s presence.

            “My firebending master went missing in this general area yesterday. I walked into the area, collapsed, and now I’m here. I don’t really know why though.” As Eren spoke, Ilse eyes widened and beads of sweat rolled down her face. “What’s wrong?”

            “Eren I want you to listen to me. Time moves faster in the Spirit World. A week is three days here. Now listen, since your teacher’s disappearance, it’s already been a day.” Eren opened his mouth to interject but Ilse held her hand up. “There’s been a rumor among the spirits that Titans have captured a human and has them chained somewhere. Humans usually aren’t allowed into the Spirit World unless forced or pulled through by a spirit. The only exception to this is the Avatar.”

            Eren couldn’t help it and the moment Ilse stopped to catch her breath, Eren interjected. “The human had _got_ to be Levi! You can help me right?”

            Now Ilse clenched her hands into fists and looked at Eren fiercly. “You’re missing the point Eren! A human can’t go a week without food or water in your world and a week is three days here. It’s already been a day here so think about this. You _have_ to find this Levi _today_ and return home _tomorrow._ Not to mention that you have absolutely no plan as to how to get him out if something goes wrong and you encounter Titans. The chances of this just blowing up in your face and costing the world another Avatar are too great. You’ll have to get a new master; leave Levi here.”

            Ilse’s words finally sunk into Eren’s brain but he refused to accept them. He could feel his eyes prickling but he refused to let tears drop in front of Ilse. “No. Hell no. I’ve been through so much fucking shit to have to just leave him here.” He looked up and glared at Ilse in the eyes. “I’m going to find him and I _will_ figure out how to get him home. You can help me or not but I’m going.” To prove his point, Eren turned on his heel and began to walk away from Ilse’s figure. He was almost a block away when something gripped his shoulder.

            “What kind of Avatar would I be if I let my reincarnation wander on their own?” Eren turned to see Ilse standing behind him. Her eyes met his but he didn’t see any disappointment, just pride. “I know a route that’s safest from the Titans. In the Spirit World, they tend to kind of just roam anywhere.” Ilse opened a door of a house but the door was a gate to the real Spirit World. Eren saw green fields on one side but a dark plague of shadows were coming over. “Things aren’t so hot over here either. Fucking Titans are ruining everything,” Ilse spat bitterly. “Let’s go Eren.” Eren nodded and followed his mentor through the gates.

-X-

            Marco and Jean stood protectively next to Eren’s body but they had no idea what to do. Jean glanced uneasily at Eren’s shining eyes and then at Marco. “Uh Marco,” he began. “I think we should carry the Avatar back to the house. They can do what they want with him then but they said they were going to leave this place remember?”

            “Yeah. Good idea Jean. You get under one of his arms while I under the other.” Marco stood Eren up and he and Jean carried Eren back to the house. They walked in on a meeting apparently when they discovered that everyone was in the main room discussing plans.

            “Eren!” Mikasa jumped up from her seat and she ran to her brother. His eyes were still wide and glowing but Mikasa didn’t flinch as she lifted him up with ease and placed the body on the couch gently. After Eren’s body was seated, she wielded on Marco and Jean. “What. Happened?”

            Marco stepped forward and addressed everyone with the situation. “Eren should be fine but he is in the Spirit World. He got there of his own accord but even I’m not sure how he did it. There was obviously a big break in spiritual energy around that area but I’m not sure why it triggered his Avatar State. We can travel with him like this; his spirit will just come back to his body when it returns. However, if Eren’s spirit stays in the Spirit World for over a week, he might have some permanent problems.”

            Erwin stood and spoke to everyone, seriousness seeping out of each pore. “Everyone get to the wagons. If Titans attack us here, we are in absolutely no condition to even put up half of a good fight.” Everyone, except Marco and Jean, stood and gave their hearts to Erwin before carrying out his orders. Mikasa glared at Marco and Jean once more before slinging Eren across her shoulders and walking away.

-X-

            Levi groaned and tried to roll over but he found that he could not. He sat up and blinked his eyes rapidly. He looked down and gritted his teeth when he saw that his hands had been bound behind him, with chains, to the floor. Levi’s stomach let out a loud growl and he could feel a headache come on that would surely grow stronger each moment he was there. He glanced around him and saw Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie all on the ground clutching their heads.

            “Oi you guys. Are you okay? What happened?” Levi asked.

            Bertolt managed to roll onto his side to face Levi. He voice sounded pained when he answered Levi’s questions. “The fucking Titans…Every time they take over our bodies…it leaves one hell of a headache. We want to help you…but they keep trying to take over us and kill you. We won’t…let it happen though.”

            Reiner rolled over to face Levi and spoke through tightly grit teeth. “He won’t either…The Avatar just…entered the Spirit World according to other Titans…other spirits…restless.” Reiner widened his eyes before letting out a loud shout.

            “E-Eren’s coming for me?” Levi was stunned. He knew that he and Eren were close enough to be considered friends but to come into the Spirit World? That was very surprising in Levi’s book. Levi’s mind drifted along thoughts filled of Eren. He thought of all the times he would say something to Eren and he would laugh and blush. All the times he would get angry or frustrated and Levi would give him advice that instantly calmed him. Levi even allowed for a moment to think that just perhaps Eren had feelings for him just like he had feelings for Eren. As soon as he thought it, Levi shook himself out of his daze; he couldn’t afford to be thinking about Eren coming to him. He needed to figure out how to escape his confines. He pulled on the chains but only succeeded in rubbing his wrists raw.

            “Levi, you’re hurting yourself!”Bertolt hissed.

            “I need to escape here so I can get to Eren,” Levi grunted while feeling the blood trail from his wrists down to his fingertips.

            “Levi. I know you’re desperate to leave here. Technically, you have about a day left in the spirit world before you basically die. Staying here though, that is the best option for you. This Eren person you keep talking about, if they are going to find you, you need to stay in one place.” Annie paused to place her hands on her head before continuing in a slightly more strained voice. “Levi, I need you to promise the three of us something while we are still here. Promise us that when this Eren guy comes, that when the times comes you’ll free us from this hell. Promise us that you’ll wipe out the Titans from our worlds and that you’ll finally free us.” Annie paused slightly and added on one more thing. “Promise us that when Eren shows up, you won’t kill us.”

            Levi stopped trying to break out and instead stared at Annie. He had wide eyes but he could quite plainly see the fear in their eyes. He knew that they would be forced to attack Eren when he arrived and that Eren wasn’t going to hold back. “I promise that I’ll try as hard as I can to free you three and I swear that I will make sure your lives are spared.”  

            “Thank you…Levi.” Annie and the others fell silent as they continued to fight the Titans’ control for his sake. Left alone to his thoughts, Levi was on high alert of his body. He felt like every minute, he was rapidly losing strength. The blood from his wrists had dried and hardened rapidly. His stomach felt like it had shrunk many sizes. His arms felt like they were just too heavy to lift so he let them touch the dirt covered floor. The headache in his head demanded to be recognized and soon his head was throbbing. Levi squeezed his eyes shut and thought about his one pillar of strength and hope: Eren. As long as Eren was still in the Spirit World, Levi felt that he had to save any bit of strength he had left for when he left this place. And with Eren’s help, he would leave. Levi smirked to himself before he dropped his head and passed out cold.

-X-

The journey to Ba Sing Se had been rough on everyone. Hanji and Erwin were reluctant to leave but after deliberating the safety of everyone, they were forced to leave. Everyone had drawn into themselves at the news of Eren and Levi’s disappearances directly after the Titan attack. Even Hanji, who had a never ceasing bubbly personality, had drawn into herself considerably. She was more serious and straightforward and was constantly thinking of where Levi could’ve gone. Even though she tried not to let her emotions overcome her, everyone knew that Hanji was taking Levi’s sudden disappearance the worst. He was like family to her.

Mikasa, Armin, Sasha, Connie, and Eren’s body all traveled together down the earth lifts to reach the main Ba Sing Se headquarters of the Survey Corps. Mikasa held Eren’s body tightly in her arms and she refused to let any tears slip from her eyes. It had been almost three days since Eren had gone into the Spirit World and he had yet to return. Mikasa had tried to get Eren to drink and eat but his body was unresponsive without his spirit inside. Armin placed a hand on Mikasa’s shoulder and smiled at her.

            “He’ll come back; you’ll see. Eren may be incredibly impulsive but he never lets the people he cares about get hurt. That and the fact that if he doesn’t get back soon, when he does return you’ll kick his ass,” Armin whispered and then chuckled at his own lame attempt of a joke. Mikasa smiled weakly at Armin before looked down at Eren’s peaceful face.

            “Holy shit,” Sasha mumbled to herself as they saw a huge cavern open up underneath the center of the royal palace. The Survey Corps Headquarters was enormous. Everyone, save Eren, looked in awe at the mere size of cavern. There were large crystals near the ceiling that illuminated the entire space and dusty houses and buildings near them. As the earth lifts came to a stop, Erwin and some other officials the small group didn’t recognize greeted them.

            “Glad you finally made it, Squad Levi,” Erwin greeted. The small group all flinched as they heard their official name but Erwin’s sharp gaze straightened them all out. On the way there, Erwin had ordered them to stay silent on the matter of Levi and that the fact that Eren was the Avatar.

            A man with blonde hair and a mustache and beard turned to face Erwin. “Erwin, where’s Levi? I don’t smell him nearby but this is his squad.”

            Erwin replied swiftly without facing the man. “Levi is not here indeed, Mike. He is helping with moving citizens from the seaside town to Ba Sing Se as refugees. He will meet us later.” The man named Mike raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask any further questions. “Do me a favor Mike and escort Squad Levi to the barracks with Squad Dita. Let me know if there are still at least two beds available.” Mike nodded and motioned for Squad Levi to follow him.

            Mike led them to a barrack numbered 104 and showed them their side of the room before sniffing them all, smirking to himself, and then leaving. The barracks were decently sized and the other half was filled with other people. The others in the barrack, a little blonde girl with bright blue eyes, a tan girl with freckles and dark brown hair, and a boy with short blonde hair and large sideburns, stepped forward to meet their newest roommates.

            The little blonde girl struck up a short conversation. “Um, hello. My name is Krista Lenz. I’m a waterbender and I can heal. It looks like your friend there might need help.” She looked at Eren’s body in Mikasa’s arms and smiled uneasily. The other girl with tan skin and dark hair threw an arm over Krista’s shoulder.

            “Krista stop being so nice. We don’t even know anything about them.” The girl glanced at the new group. “I’m Ymir and one hell of an earthbender. Stay away from Krista,” she said with a glare towards the group. The boy with the blonde hair and large sideburns sighed heavily and faced Ymir and Krista.

            “Ymir stop being a jack-ass to the new people. Krista there’s nothing wrong with being nice to people.” The boy looked apologetically towards the group of new people. “My name is Thomas Wagner and I’m an average firebender. Ymir is basically Krista’s girlfriend but they never make it official.” Krista began blushing furiously but she didn’t deny what Thomas had said.

            Armin smiled and spoke up. “I’m Armin Arlet and an airbender.” Armin pointed to each respective person as he introduced them. “This is Mikasa Ackerman, a firebending prodigy. She’s holding her brother, Eren Jaeger an earthbender. Over there on the beds is Sasha Blouse, a truly exceptional earthbender and her best friend Connie Springer; he’s an airbender. He’s on crutches because of a broken leg though or at least he should be; he likes to use his staff as his crutch. We are Squad Levi.” Thomas widened his eyes and Krista’s mouth was slightly open.

            “Wait so you mean you guys are _the_ Squad Levi. Isn’t that the elite squad? Does that mean you guys are elites? How many Titans have you battled?” Krista asked interestedly.

            Everyone in Squad Levi winced and an awkward silence fell upon them as everyone remembered the horrors that the Titans left in their memories. “Sorry we should not have asked. We’ve never seen Titans since we’ve been stationed in Ba Sing Se,” Krista answered softly.   

            Amidst the silence, Sasha stepped forward, shaking visibly. Her bangs covered her eyes and hooded most of her face as she approached Krista. Ymir glared at Sasha but Sasha did not back down. Finally, Sasha clamped her hands down on Krista’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes. She opened her mouth and let out a loud cry. “HEAL ME!” she begged. Sasha collapsed on the floor and clutched her stomach. “I haven’t eaten since last night! My poor stomach is going to eat itself because I’m so hungry!” Sasha quickly got onto her knees in front of Krista and continued her begging. “Please; can’t you spare just a loaf of bread? I don’t think I can go on,” she whispered. Connie sighed and promptly lightly slapped Sasha upside the head with his staff.

            “Sasha, haven’t you learned that begging for food from almost complete strangers is rude and unsettling for everyone else there?”

            “I can’t help it Connie! And that hurt,” she whined.

            Armin couldn’t help but laugh at the display and Thomas joined him. Soon the entire barrack was laughing while Sasha still clutched her stomach and claimed she was dying.

-X-

            Erwin had a lot of explaining to do. After Mike left with Squad Levi and Eren, he turned to the other leaders present, Dita Ness and Keith Shadis. “There is an emergency meeting right now in the Meeting House. Tell the squadron leaders only- a lot has changed that we need to discuss.” They both nodded and moved out to spread news. Erwin grimaced as he open his staff and flew up to where the Meeting House was. He had no idea how to drop the news about Levi being missing and Eren’s spirit being elsewhere.  He was just going to have to do it.

            Within five minutes, all the squadron leaders and Shadis, the previous leader of the Survey Corps, had met Erwin in the Meeting House. “Erwin what is this about?” Shadis asked.

            “We are in a grave danger. From the last meeting I told you about the Titans most likely approaching the final stretch. Well we have more bad news. In the most previous attack, we managed to make a new discovery about the Titans-a terrifying one frankly. Before we approach that though, you all noticed that Levi was not here and that Eren was unconscious I assume. Levi has been missing with no traces except for a spiritual disturbance since the Titan attack about four days ago. I already told you that we found the Avatar, Eren Jaeger. Eren is also missing in a way. His body is here but his spirit is not. He’s been like this for three days now, showing no signs of returning soon. This is why I called the Survey Corps together: we lost some of our most important people in the latest attack. We must find them and soon. Hanji will explain the rest about the Titans, as she is the one who made the discovery.

            “Thank you Commander Erwin,” Hanji said before divulging into her tale. She recounted about how she and Levi had battled a Titan with intelligence and how Eren, in the Avatar State, killed it. She also spoke of how they found a girl in similar appearance to the Titan fall from its dissolving body. Hanji also explained how there was supposedly two others like the girl but they had only found one other person. Hanji ended by saying that she and Erwin had heard Levi screaming but by the time they got there, he along with the others had vanished without a trace. “We believe that the culprits for stealing Levi away was the supposed Titan-people.” Hanji looked around the room everyone was gathered in after she finished speaking.

            “Erwin,” Mike began. “This is serious. What do you want us to tell our squads?”

            “Nothing. The only thing you are to tell them is that Eren Jaeger is indeed the Avatar and is recovering from his time in the Avatar State. To them, Levi is helping move the refugees so he will continue to do that until he is safely returned. If two weeks go by and Levi has not returned, announce him to be dead.” Erwin faced everyone. “Any questions?”

            “There were two men at the gate who refused to leave,” Shadis spoke. “One of them looked like a horse to me and the other had freckled but said he knew Erwin Smith. Should I let them in?”

            “Yes,” Erwin replied. “They are to help Eren when his spirit returns. Escort them to the 104th barrack.” Shadis nodded and looked ahead.

            “How long are we going to be stationed here? Part of the Survey Corps’ job is to keep the peace. The air nomads are scared and are in turmoil. My squad was going to move out of Ba Sing Se to help soon. Is that still a go?” Dita asked.

            “I want everyone here until Eren returns. Levi’s Special Operation Squad is skilled but also in recovery. We need everyone to protect the Avatar. If we get attacked, we must be ready to protect him with our lives.”

            “Erwin if the Titans attack somewhere else, who’ll protect the citizens? The only reason that the casualties of the Titans weren’t all that bad was because we had troops battle against Titans to save those people. Without us, many people will die,” Mike argued.

            “I know that. I hope that Eren will wake soon. If he’s still gone by the end of this week, Squads Mike and Shadis are dismissed. Dita, I want yours to stay. Hanji, you squad deals with their own things so just inform them of the situations but they are fine.” Erwin stood and addressed everyone. “We need to tell our soldiers exactly what’s going on. They should know who the Avatar is along with the rest of the world. Have everyone assemble in the entrance cavern in five minutes. Mike, you will tell the press above about the identity of the Avatar. If there are no more questions, you are all dismissed.” Everyone stood and gave their hearts to Erwin before leaving the Meeting House.

-X-

            Everyone had gathered in the entrance cavern as was ordered by Erwin and everyone was anxiously awaiting the start of the meeting. Mikasa tapped her fingers on her leg impatiently as she wished she was by Eren’s bedside. Hanji had relieved her of watching over Eren so that she could attend the meeting despite already knowing what Erwin was going to tell everyone. Beside her sat Armin and Jean and Marco, the latter two were finally let into the cavern.

            Erwin stepped out and addressed the entire Survey Corps. “Attention! You are all wondering I’m sure why we are all gathered here today. It is simple. Now is the time to fill you all in on the most recent information. It is highly believed that this is the final stretch between the Titans and humanity. Luckily for us, we have found the newest Avatar. If you haven’t met him already, his name is Eren Jaeger.” At the mention of Eren’s name, whispers broke out among everyone. Thomas, Krista, and Ymir looked down to where Squad Levi sat with their eyes wide. “Please, your attention!” The whispers ceased immediately at Erwin’s request and he continued on. “Avatar Eren has been recovering from his most recent duel against the Titans. Our job is to protect him until he wakes up. He is humanity’s last hope; we must protect him with our lives if we want to defeat the Titans. You are all now dismissed back to your barracks and training will resume tomorrow as normal. Make sure you all get a decent amount of rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Lord, if you understood that chapter then great good for you! Chapter 28 (holy shit how) tomorrow!! If not, here's a summary basically of what's going on:  
> -Eren goes with Jean and Marco to the last place Levi was seen. While they are there, Eren's spirit walks out of his body but no one is really sure how it even happened. Eren meets Ilse in the Spirit World and is warned that in the Spirit World, time is faster and a week in the physical world is 3 days there. This means Eren must find Levi that day or else Levi will die from starvation and dehydration. While Eren is in the other world, Marco and Jean bring Eren back to the house. Erwin decides that they must relocate immediately and the Survey Corps is going back to the main headquarters in Ba Sing Se. On Levi's end of the stick, he is now chained to the back of the cave and cannot escape. Annie, Bertolt, and Reiner are fighting the Titans' control over them but Reiner gets news of the Avatar's presence causing spirits to be restless. He tells Levi and Levi tries to escape. He is talked down of trying to leave by Annie and after calming down, he strength is continually decreasing, he passes out. Now because a day in Spirit World just ended, its been three days in the physical world and Ere hasn't returned yet. The Survey Corps branch in the seaside town has reached the headquarters. They are located under the royal palace (the ruins of old Ba Sing Se in Avatar) in a large cavern with few buildings and many crystals. Squad Levi meets Squad Dita-Ymir, Krista, and Thomas. They all share a barrack and start to get to know each other. Elsewhere, Erwin forms a meeting to discuss Levi's absence and Eren's absence. Erwin calls together every Survey Corps unit to Ba Sing Se to assist them in protecting the Avatar until he wakes. This plan isn't that popular but it is carried out regardless. Erwin later that night tells the recruits that Eren is the Avatar and in healing, and that Levi was still helping refugees. The chapter ends with Erwin saying "I'll see you tomorrow."


	28. It's Time to Go Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pretty self-explanatory title...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3000 HITS?????? How did this even happen???? I want to thank everyone's who read this fic so far I'm so grateful to you guys. Also I'm so thankful to those who have left comments or kudos. As a writer it means so much more than just a click or a few words written down. Thanks so much again so here's the chapter!! (also I'm really sorry that this is soo late)

 

            “Ilse, where are we going?” Eren asked for the hundredth time.

            “I told you Eren, you need to meet the spirit who knows about a time before Titans. He alone can tell you where to go if you survive the encounter.”

            “Okay but why can’t I just imagine Levi and go there? You told me once that you could do that,” Eren argued.

            “The Spirit World is getting darker. The Titans are making even simple things like that impossible without being dragged through a bunch of them.”

            “So I can just go into the Avatar State and kick their ass like I did before,” Eren replied easily.

            “No you can’t. No bending remember?” Ilse had a habit of crushing all of Eren’s plans he soon realized. Eren remained silent for the rest of the trip until the environment became darker and more sinister.

            “Um, Ilse where are we?” Eren asked; his voice was small.

            They came to a stop in front of a gnarled tree before Ilse spoke with no emotion in her voice. “This is the lair of the Face-Stealer, Koh. You are to go in, ask him where Levi is, and if he is in a decent mood by the end of that conversation, ask about how to defeat the Titans.”

            “He seems really,” Eren struggled to find the right words. “Really not bad if you ask me.”

            “Don’t underestimate him. If you show the slightest sign of emotion, he is going to steal your face. Remember, the fate of humanity and Levi all depend on this. You can do this Eren; I’ll be waiting out here.” Ilse gave Eren a small push and he robotically walked into the lair that was Koh.

            Eren took a deep breath to calm himself before he called out. “Koh!” There was a rustle that indicated something was moving above Eren but he forced himself to look forward. “I heard that you know everything. Do you know who I am?” Eren knew that being bold and demanding wasn’t the best route to go but he had no other option.

            “ _I know who you are, Eren Jaeger. You are the great bridge between this world and the physical world that is filled with incompetent people and suffering: the Avatar. Tell me, are you so desperate for answers that you would seek me out?”_ Koh spoke soft and calculatingly. The spirit stayed hidden in the shadows but Eren knew he was watching his face intently. Eren had felt personally insulted but he couldn’t show any emotion at the risk of losing his face and Levi’s fate. So he trudged on and ignored everything Koh said except for the important pieces of information.

            “I need to know where the Titans are keeping the human named Levi. I have to find him and bring him home.”

            Koh rustled and moved in the shadows as he answered Eren. “ _Ah, you seek Levi. He’s going to die if you don’t hurry and I know where he is. Why should I tell you though? What do I gain? Obviously it’s not your face; I can see that you aren’t going to slip up.”_ Eren took a deep breath to deal with the pent up anger that was dangerously close to boiling over the edge.

            “With his help, I can wipe out the Titans from our worlds. He is my firebending master.” Eren shifted his eyes to the side to see Koh’s body centimeters from his body. Beads of sweat formed from his fear but he forced it to the back of his mind even as Koh wrapped his scaly body around Eren’s neck.

            “ _Wipe the Titans out, huh? If anyone could find the way out, it is you I suppose. Very well I will tell you where he is. Listen carefully, Levi is in a cave at Hai-Riyo Peak. I cannot tell you which cave he is in but I can tell you he is heavily guarded. Hurry on your way little Avatar.”_

“Koh, I have one more question. How do I defeat the Titans?” Eren strained his ears and forced himself to memorize everything Koh would reveal to him.

            _“The Titans appeared one day in the Spirit World and the physical world. I know nothing about how to defeat their threat except this. To drive them out of the physical world is not enough. You must fight them here, in the Spirit World too. Go now Avatar. Find your master and return to free us.”_ Koh uncurled himself from Eren and retreated back into depth of his lair. As soon as Koh was gone, Eren ran out the mangled tree to where Ilse was waiting.

            “Did you get the information?” she asked.

            “Yeah,” Eren replied while catching his breath. “We need to get to Hai-Riyo Peak- that’s where Levi is. As for the Titans, I have to beat them here in the Spirit World when the time comes to wipe them out.” Ilse nodded and gripped Eren’s shoulder.

            “In the Spirit World, the Avatar has great power. Your emotions are your reality. Imagine your feelings for Levi and your desire to be by him.” Eren took Ilse’s words to his heart and closed his eyes while he thought about how desperate he was to find Levi. He imagined himself speeding through the Spirit World, going over the greens and into the shadows. He just wanted to see Levi’s face again, to be able to wake up in the morning and see him in the bed next to him like before.

Eren opened his eyes and jumped. He was in a completely different place. He was standing on a narrow ridge on a dark mountainside. Eren turned in a circle looking for Ilse but he didn’t see any sign of her. “Ilse? What do I do now?” Eren called out but there was no response but growing shadows on the mountain. “I guess I have to do the rest on my own then,” Eren muttered to himself while he trudged up the mountain. He came to a large ledge in the side of the mountain and discovered a deep cave. Eren raised an eyebrow and approached the cave. He remembered that Koh said that Levi was in _a_ cave on this peak but he wasn’t sure that this was the cave. Eren was about to turn back and search the rest of the mountainside but he caught a glimpse of an orange-red glow on the cave walls. “ _It’s got to be Levi!”_ Eren thought and he ran deeper into the cave until he saw a frightening sight.  

            All the way in the back of the empty cave, Levi was slumped onto the floor, passed out and in chains. His usually neat, clean clothes were covered with dirt and his shiny skin was dry and a bit paler than usual. Even his hair had lost its usual shine. Eren’s eyes trailed from Levi’s face to the rest of his body. His ankle was wrapped in some sort of splint and he had two large branches next to him that Eren assumed were probably used to help him get around. Eren’s eyes began to prickle as he staggered a step towards Levi. His eyes practically tunnel vision-ed and he launched himself towards Levi with tears already running down his face.

            Eren threw himself at Levi’s fragile being and wrapped his arms around him tightly. “L-Levi, Wake up. Everything’s okay; I’m here now.” Eren buried his face in Levi’s hair and he felt Levi stir under him.

            “E-Eren? Is it really you?” Levi opened his eyes a crack and looked up to see none other than Eren cradling his body. Levi sat up and a crooked smile graced his features in happiness. Levi tried to hug Eren back but his hands were still chained to the floor behind him. His wrists felt tight ad his ankle was stiff but Levi managed to push all the pain raking his body behind him to indulge in this moment. “You don’t have to cry you know. I’ve been worse, Eren,” Levi said casually.

            Eren pulled himself at arm’s length from Levi and stared at him in the eye. “You said Eren. You called me by my name. Y-you finally called me Eren and not ‘brat’ or ‘idiot’ or ‘kid’.” Levi just clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes.

            “So what if I did?”

            Eren blinked the tears out of his eyes and embraced Levi again. Then without even thinking, Eren moved his head to meet Levi’s and pressed his lips softly onto Levi’s. Although Levi’s lips were cracked and dry, Eren didn’t mind. It felt like everything was perfect in that moment and that nothing else mattered except being there with Levi.

            But much too soon, Levi pulled back. His eyes were wide and his mouth still hung open in surprise. “Eren,” he began hesitantly. “I can’t.” Eren’s wide smile fell at Levi’s two simple words and a look of confusion overtook his features. “It’s not your fault but…you’re seventeen and I’m twenty-seven. I won’t be involved with a minor, Avatar or no Avatar. Listen to me though before you get angry,” Levi paused slightly to collect his thoughts. He didn’t want to tell Eren his true feelings while he was chained to the floor but deep down, he knew if he would ever end up with Eren at all, now had to be the time. “I want to be with you, Eren. Everything about you is amazing; you’re caring, passionate, determined, and strong. You’ve changed me since I first met you into this man who actually gives a shit about people I don’t know and I don’t want to lose whatever we have between us. I really don’t but, you’re still a minor and I know right off the bat that Erwin couldn’t approve of this. All I can ask of you is to wait. Just wait until you’re eighteen, then I promise that we can find a way or something to make this work. Can you do that, please?” Levi’s eyes were sincere and pleading as they bore into Eren’s.

            “Okay. I understand what you mean but can we still like hold hands and do stupid shit like that when we’re alone?” Eren asked innocently.

            “The most stupid shit that I’ll do, is let you wear some of my clothes for the time being. That’s it, even though I’m sure your hand is probably soft.” Levi replied. He opened his mouth to say more when a groan escaped his lips and he doubled over when an intense headache drilled away at his head, screaming to be recognized. His barrier that was keeping the flood of pain subdued broke and Levi felt the throbbing in his ankle and his shrining stomach yelling at him. He fell into Eren’s arms and groaned louder. “Agh! Fuck this shit!”

            “What’s wrong Levi?” Eren asked in a slightly panicked voice.

            “The Spirit World food isn’t good for humans so I haven’t eaten anything since I got here. I need to eat something to get rid of this fucking headache and internal pain. I also sprained my ankle when I got here but with no bending, I haven’t been able to do much for it.” Levi heard approaching footsteps and silenced himself. “Eren go hide until I say you can come out,” Levi whispered urgently. Eren ran behind a large rock without hesitation but glanced to see what was going on.

            Levi gritted his teeth but soon relaxed when he saw Annie, Bertolt, and Reiner re-enter the cave. They seemed normal so Levi called Eren out. “You can come out now, Kid.” Levi smirked to himself at reusing Eren’s old nickname. Annie and the other two raised an eyebrow as Levi spoke and their eyes all widened when they saw Eren emerge from the rock.

            “Levi, who is this?” Annie asked, her voice slightly strained.

            “This is the Avatar; his name is Eren. Reiner was right about him coming. Are you guys alright?” Levi questioned when he saw Bertolt and Reiner begin to shake.

            “It’s the Titans. They want us…to attack. They want Eren,” Annie answered shakily. She turned and saw Bertolt and Reiner’s irises begin to fade and eerie smiles began to stretch across their face. She swore and turned back to Levi and Eren, her voice frantic as she dug into her pocket for something. “Here! Free yourself!” Annie dug out a dark shadowy key and threw it at Eren’s feet. Eren immediately picked up the key and shoved it into the lock keeping Levi restrained to the ground. As Eren continued to wiggle and turn the key in the lock, Annie shouted out one more order to Levi. “I’m going to get you out through a portal. Hold on to Eren and you should be transported to wherever his body is in the physical world.” She let out a groan as her irises also began to fade. “Don’t forget about us. Don’t forget your promises that you made! We need you! Get ready; you have one shot at-“Annie’s eyes had turned a complete white and an eerie smile was plastered to her face like Bertolt and Reiner. Before they could advance, Levi heard the click off the lock and as he untied himself, Eren sprang into action.

            The three Titan-possessed spirits lunged at Eren but Eren took them all on. He rammed the blonde haired boy on the side of his face and tripped the girl. The blonde boy fell clumsily onto the other tall brown haired boy and all three were down. Levi yelled out to Eren as he stood up on a crutch. “Don’t kill them! I’ll explain when we get back but leave them be.” Eren spared a confused look at Levi and the blonde haired girl took her opportunity to jump Eren. She kicked his legs out from under him and Eren fell with a thud. The girl climbed on top of him and wrapped her fingers around his throat. Eren struggled to move and throw her off him but she held him down firmly. Seeing nothing else to do, he pressed his hands to the girl’s face and she let out a wail of pain before her eyes cleared and her eyes returned back to their bright, intelligent blue.

            “What did you-“she was cut off when she saw the other two boys hit Levi. She grit her teeth and ran over to them. She threw the blonde boy off Levi and knocked him flat on his back away from Levi. Then she spun the tall brown haired boy and rammed her fist into his face as hard as she could. The boy fell and was out cold. “I’m sorry Bertolt and Reiner but I had to do it.” She turned to Eren and helped him up. “Get Levi and be ready to jump.” Eren nodded and ran back over to Levi’s side and hauled him up. Even though Levi hadn’t eaten in days, he was still incredibly heavy and hard to carry.

            “Damn it Levi, why are you so heavy?” Eren struggled under Levi’s heavy weight and the fact that Levi was once again unconscious wasn’t helping him.

            “Hurry up!” the blonde girl yelled. She had cast her hands up and Eren could sense the spiritual disruption as a hole ripped through both worlds and drew Eren and Levi close. Winds were conjuring from seemingly nowhere and Eren’s hair was blowing everywhere. The girl shouted over the roar of the winds. “Hurry and get through before Reiner gets up!”

            Eren staggered to the rip between the Spirit and physical worlds and turned to face the blonde girl. “Who or what are you? What did you promise Levi?”

            The girl shouted to Eren. “There’s no time! Ask Levi when you get back but be sure to come back to the Spirit World so we can properly meet! Until we meet again Avatar Eren.” The girl gave Eren a hard shove and he and Levi were suddenly flying through the air and through time itself. It felt as if someone was beating down relentlessly on them as they both returned to the physical world.

            Eren felt his spirit slam into his body and he heard a thud as Levi landed next to him on the floor. Eren looked around and saw that he was surrounded by many faces- some were familiar but most weren’t. “Hey guys…” he said weakly. He looked to the ground and saw that Levi wasn’t moving. “Help…him first,” Eren ordered before his eyes rolled up and he fell unconscious. The last thing he remembered was the sound of someone shouting for him but he was already too far gone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 29 Saturday!!  
> And if you noticed, yes i changed the tags to include eventual smut. This is a thing but not anytime soon.


	29. What Happened While You Where Gone?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi are back! Erwin questions them while plans are being made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter today, sorry :(   
> The chapter's a bit filler-y but it's necessary.   
> Enjoy!!

            “Ughh,” Eren groaned as he came to. He opened his eyes wearily, expecting to see Ilse nearby but he was pleasantly greeted by Squad Levi, Erwin, Hanji, and a few people he didn’t recognize. He realized that the girl had gotten them home; the portal worked. Eren glanced down at his body and groaned again. He was in a healing pond but he still felt horrible and his skin was pruning. Except for a pair of shorts, he was completely naked in the pond and covered in bruises and scars. He blinked his eyes and looked into everyone’s worried faces. “I’m fine; everything just hurts but I’m fine,” Eren responded.

            Eren watched as relief spread across almost everyone’s faces except for Mikasa but he realized that one person was missing. The person he came back with… “Where’s Levi?” Eren demanded. “How is he doing? He wasn’t moving the last time I saw him.”

            Hanji stepped forward, the usual mischievous glint was still muted but it had returned, and answered Eren. “He’s right next to you and still healing. His ordeal probably isn’t the best thing he’ll want to talk about. He’s severely dehydrated, hasn’t eaten in five days, and his head has suffered some serious blows. He’s still out and I’m not exactly sure when he’ll wake up but it’s only been a few hours since you returned.” Eren whipped his head to both sides and gasped when he saw Levi. He was sitting in a deeper healing pond with three healers working on him while his eyes were closed, although his eyebrows were still knit.

            Erwin stepped forward and spoke directly to Eren. “Eren, do you mind if you and I have a word privately?”

            “Sure Erwin,” he replied casually. When he saw Mikasa’s expression though, he stammered out a question. “C-can Mikasa and Armin stay? Please?” Mikasa’s death glare softened at hearing this and stared at Erwin with intense eyes.

            “Okay they can stay if you’re comfortable with that. Hanji you should continue to heal Eren while we speak. Everyone else,” Erwin whirled around to face Connie, Sasha, and the others Eren didn’t know. “Get to your usual activities. Connie and Sasha, go alert Squad Leader Shadis and Dita that the Avatar has returned and brought Levi. There will be a meeting in an hour at the Meeting House.” The duo nodded and proceeded to leave the room. Once it was just Eren, Mikasa, Levi, Armin, Erwin, Hanji, and the three healers, Erwin began the interrogation.

            “Eren what happened? Where did you go and how did you find Levi?”

            “Well, a lot has happened. It kind of starts back when the Titans attacked and I was drowning.” Eren glanced at Levi’s form in the other healing pond and Mikasa grasped at Eren’s hand.

            “Go on Eren. It’ll be okay,” Mikasa said gently. Eren took a deep, shaky breath and began to recount his story of the past few days.

            “Okay well, when I was drowning in the water during the attack, Avatar Ilse saved me. She’s the voice I’ve been hearing in my dreams and kind of like my mentor for Avatar duties. Oh and she’s definitely trustworthy. So yeah she and I kicked Titan ass but for some reason during that attack, she couldn’t keep manifesting my body and after I went back in, I passed out. So the next day when I went to look for Levi, I had heard something calling my name but I didn’t think much of it until I crossed over. I don’t know how it happened but I kind of just…walked out of my body I guess?” Eren could see the evident confusion written over quite literally everyone’s faces but he pushed on. If they had questions, they’d save them for later.

            “Um, so the Spirit World. It was really different from our world but they are in just as much danger from the Titans as we are. Ilse found me, tried to convince me to go back and leave Levi and when she couldn’t, she led me to an ancient, foreseeing spirit named Koh, the face-stealer. So I spoke with him and he said that Levi was in a cave on this one mountain. I had also asked him about the Titans and he told me like a mini prophecy or something. He said that the Titans will only be defeated when we’ve driven them out of the Spirit World and the physical world. He said that I could do it as the Avatar but I don’t know how yet and the fact that time moves faster, their food isn’t good for us, and you can’t bend in the Spirit World is unsettling.

            “So I went to that mountain peak and once I made it to the ledge, Ilse had gone. I went around looking for a cave and I eventually found one with a fire glowing inside. I figured Levi must’ve been inside and I ran in. He was alone initially and chained up in the corner, passed out. I went to him and started to try and get the chains lose but I couldn’t. He um, woke up and we kind of just sat there.” Eren remembered how Levi said that Erwin wouldn’t approve of their relationship so he opted to leave the entire conversation out.

            “A few minutes later, three people walked in. There were two boys, blonde and brunette, and a blonde girl who was short. They apparently knew Levi because the girl asked who I was and Levi asked if they were okay. They got rigid and then they all had this eerie smile and their eyes were just white before they attacked me. The girl pinned me down but I pressed my hands to her face and her eyes returned and the smile dropped. I did something, but I don’t know what I did. The girl said she could open a portal between the physical world and the Spirit World so she went and took care of the guys beating Levi and pushed us into the portal she made. We went through and my spirit returned to my obviously beaten body,” he said glancing at his healing skin. “And Levi came back too. If you want to know more about the three kids, ask Levi.”

            “Yeah,” a raspy voice said. The person cleared their throat and tried again. “Ask me about them.” Eren whipped his head around to see Levi, unsmiling of course, sitting in his healing pond with his eyebrows still furrowed and his eyes closed.

            “Levi you don’t have to-“Erwin began.

            “No offense Erwin, but shut up. I need to tell you this before I pass out again. So when I was by the blonde girl’s cage with the black haired boy, not a brunette, I was fine. The girl’s name is Annie and the boy I carried is named Bertolt. Annie began screaming and glowing and Bertolt and some other voice joined her. Bertolt and Annie were glowing and soon Bertolt disappeared. I started glowing too and I disappeared with them. When I landed in the Spirit World it was weird as fuck because I literally fell out of the fucking sky. I sprained my ankle when I landed and then I found out I couldn’t bend; then I passed out.

            “The three are actually spirits and are being forced to work for the Titans against their will. I was supposed to be dead about a day or two ago but they’ve been resisting the Titans. I swore to them that I would free them. They are actually quite nice and if we manage to free them, less Titans will be invading us or at least not as frequently. I also learned that humans cannot be controlled by Titans but spirits can so be careful who you trust,” Levi finished with a glance to Eren.

            “Okay Erwin, I’m going to need you to leave. These two need time to heal and relax,” Hanji declared. Erwin just nodded and left the barracks as he went to the Meeting House to inform everyone of Eren and Levi’s arrival.

-X-

            Levi and Eren were finally alone for the first time all day in the healing barracks. Hanji had somehow gotten them to walk over to the beds to sleep in for the night. Eren had asked Levi to share a bed but he refused, saying that if and when they would oversleep, the last thing any of them needed was more stress. Eren understood his reason but still slid his bed closer to Levi’s. They were both still awake by midnight, unable to get any sleep.

            Eren turned his head and spoke up. “Levi?” There was a grunt that indicated Levi was listening. “I’m scared.”

            “What are you scared of?”

            “I’m scared to go to sleep because I don’t want to have nightmares. I’m scared because I have no idea who to trust. I’m scared because I’m the Avatar but I have no fucking clue what to do now and I’m scared…I’m scared because I almost lost you,” Eren whispered.

            “Okay then here,” Levi said gently. “Go to sleep and if you have a nightmare, I’ll be right here to calm you. Go by your own gut feelings about people when you decide whether to trust them or not. What you need to do now is just train. Master air and fire as soon as you can. As for me, don’t worry. I’ll always be here and if you need to hold my hand when we’re alone in order to reassure you, go ahead.” Levi moved closer to Eren and extended his hand out. Eren immediately grabbed it and sighed.

            “Thank you Levi.”

            “You’re welcome Eren.”

-X-

“Is this what you want to be on the papers? This article and headline?” Mike asked Erwin. Erwin nodded but kept his eyes trained on Mike as the meeting drew on. He felt that it was unnecessarily long but he would rather cover the subjects in excruciating detail than have everyone ask him questions the next morning.

            Dita spoke up and addressed the table. “So basically, this is what’s going on. Eren and Levi are back from the Spirit World and are both critical for the time being. As far as the world will know when I deliver the message to the media, Eren is the Avatar and helped stop the latest Titan attack. Then after Eren masters the Avatar State and elements, he’s going to help those spirits and make headlines again to lift people’s hearts. Once he does that, we’ll finish off the Titans and the world will be happy and peaceful.” Erwin nodded and took his eyes off Mike for a minute.

            “I know it’s a little far from the truth but we absolutely cannot let people be discouraged. When people lose hope, the Titans will win. As for the people of the Four Nations, they’ll know this when you, Mike and Shadis, go back to your bases in each respective nation and give them the same news article. This means that your teams will be deployed tonight. I want this story to be everywhere by the end of tomorrow.” Shadis and Dita nodded and stood to gather their squads. Mike stood as well but Erwin stopped him. “Mike. Wait a moment.”

            Mike waited until the room cleared out before speaking. “Do you have something else for me to do while I deliver the message tomorrow?”

            “I want you to take Nanaba with you tomorrow and go to the air temples. Spread the word about the Avatar. Dita will spread word in Ba Sing Se and through extension, the Earth Kingdom. Shadis will take care of the Fire Nation. While you and Nanaba are out, I want you to get a total of about how many airbenders we have left. As their numbers dwindle, the less time we have left and the less time Eren has to master two more elements.” Mike saluted Erwin and left the room to go carry out Erwin’s orders. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 30(its much longer by the way) tomorrow!  
> Leave a comment; tell me what you think!   
> Or hit me up on tumblr at: 'chibinico'


	30. A Tour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren get a tour around the place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some minor time jumps, just so you don't get confused. I told you this chapter would be longer, it's nearly 5K. Also, I headcanon that Hanji also has a mouth of a sailor but they only use it when they're comfortable and usually with Levi. Also, Armin is a little shit when it comes to getting the truth out of Eren.  
> Enjoy your chapter!

            “Hanji?” Eren called out to the brunette hunched over files she received earlier that morning. She turned her head to the side to indicate she was indeed listening and Eren continued to speak. “How much longer do Levi and I need to heal before we can leave the infirmary hut? I think my skin has pruned enough from sitting in these ponds,” Eren said with a chuckle. At the mention of his name, Levi shifted his attention to Eren and Hanji’s conversation and spoke up.

            “I actually want to know too Hanji,” he said as he clicked his tongue when Hanji didn’t move for a few minutes. She let out a giggle and straightened her papers on her desk.

            Hanji spun around and pranced over to Eren, the familiar intense, mischievous glint back in her now lively eyes. “Well it’s been about, what two days I think, since you guys have returned and you only went three days while Levi was there for four. Huh, you guys have been in healing non-stop so most of your injuries should be healed. Eren, that burn is probably going to become a permanent scar unfortunately; I’m really sorry about that. Levi your ankle is going to take some time to heal, even with our help. Usually it takes about six weeks without a healer’s aid but with our aid non-stop, it should take about…” Hanji trailed off while doing calculations in her head. “Yeah it should be healed by the end of this week with non-stop healing every day. As for moving around, we are going to have to put Levi in a wheelchair until his ankle is strong enough to support his weight again. Eren you may want a wheelchair too since your leg is still healing from that burn but I will leave the option up to you.”

            Levi groaned aloud and spoke up, distaste coating his tone. “So I have to be in here for the rest of the fucking week with you for company. Fan-fucking-tastic.”

            “Aw Levi, don’t be like that! We can catch up on stuff that happened while you were gone!” Hanji cried.

            “Yeah and I can visit you while I heal up,” Eren pitched in. His carefree grin was wiped off his face by Levi’s next words.

            “No, you won’t.”

            “But why not? I thought that…” Eren trailed off his eyes wide with concern. Hanji stayed silent but she could obviously sense that Eren and Levi were talking about something that she didn’t know.

            “It’s not that, jeez Eren. I mean you have to get back to training as soon as possible. You still need to learn firebending and airbending, not to mention I have students of my own I need to train now.” Levi clicked his tongue again and glared at the wall as he thought of the idea of training new, average, whiny students. After glaring so intensely, his head began to throb again so he dropped his glare with a heavy sigh.

            “Oh! I have an idea since you both want to leave the hut for a bit,” Hanji exclaimed. “Why don’t I take you guys on a tour of the place? I know Levi already has been here but it’s a good refresher course. What do you say?”

            “That’s not a bad idea. While we’re at it, the kid can work his arms out by pushing himself,” Levi said with a small smirk.

            “Oh hell no,” Eren groaned. “Please tell me you’re not going back to calling me ‘kid’ or ‘brat’. I thought you were finally going to call me by my name now.”

            “Think again Brat,” Levi declared.

            “Then I’m calling you Heichou again. And I won’t stop until you use my name permanently.”

            “Good idea Eren!” Hanji broke in. “I called Levi this absolutely horrid nickname non-stop for two months because he would only call me Hanj. Also, if you ever call me that, I will freeze you alive from the inside out.” Hanji said in a deeper, more menacing tone before perking up again. “Anyway, after I did that he relented and started calling me Hanji. But he’s particularly stubborn not to call you Eren I think. It might just be his weird way of showing that he actually cares about people, although that’s just my theory.” Eren blushed and mumbled out an unintelligible response.

            “Alright Hanj,” Levi said satisfied with the death glare he received. “Let’s go on that tour.” Hanji squealed and had two of the three healers working on Levi grab wheelchairs from the back while the third bandaged Levi’s ankle. Eren’s healer helped ease him into his wheelchair and within five minutes, they were all ready to depart. Hanji pushed Levi slowly so Eren could keep up with them as they went through the dirt roads in the underground cavern.

            “Oh wow! This place is incredible,” Eren said in amazement. “To think that this was all underneath that tiny seaside town. Did you guys build this?”

            “Oh Eren,” Hanji laughed. “Didn’t anyone tell you that we left that little town behind days ago? We are at the main headquarters for the Survey Corps, underneath the inner wall of Ba Sing Se. If you look over on your right just past the stream of water, that square of land is where Erwin addresses all the squads and leaders at once. He actually did that two days ago to announce your arrival and stuff. And up above us where the crystals are, there’s one house still usable that’s known as the Meeting House. That’s where only the squad leaders meet with Erwin to discuss urgent matters.” Hanji continued to chatter on about the sights to see while Eren pushed himself to keep up with her slightly increasing speed. Something about being in Ba Sing Se set his teeth on edge; like there was a bad memory that was associated with this city.

As he continued to roll about the headquarters with Hanji and Levi, he noticed that many people would just stop and stare at him and Levi and whisper to each other without ever taking their eyes off him; it was really start to bug him so Eren decided to ask Hanji. “Um Hanji, why is everyone staring at me?”

            “It’s probably because Erwin just told the entire corps that you were the Avatar and that you were healing two days ago. This is the first time they’ve seen an Avatar since Ilse, after all. It has been seventeen years of waiting for most people so they’re probably excited too,” Hanji replied. Her voice was light and carefree as if she didn’t notice Eren’s wide eyes or the fact that he stopped moving altogether.

            “He did what?” Eren cried. He spluttered to form the next few words while struggling to catch up to Hanji. Even though Levi said to use his arms, Eren still willed the earth to push him forward so he wouldn’t exert so much energy so quickly. As Eren opened his mouth to complain again, Levi cut him off.

            “Hanji, do I still have to watch over this guy and be roommates with him?” He asked while jerking his thumb in Eren’s direction. “Honestly I don’t think I could take it. His fucking snores… I’m surprised I didn’t just seal his fucking lips shut a while ago.” Hanji laughed at Levi’s comments as Eren tried to protest Levi’s words.

            “Levi, I’d speak to Erwin about the sleeping arrangements for this time if you seriously have a problem with Eren but other than that they should be the same,” Hanji answered while wiping tears from her eyes. She glanced around and saw a large barrack with the number 104 on the top. “This is actually where you’ll both stay.” Eren rolled to a stop in front of the door and knocked as Hanji pushed Levi to a stop. The door was opened by a little blonde girl with startling blue eyes that reminded Eren of Armin. The girl took in who was at the door and squealed happily before giving Eren a large hug.

            “Um, do I know you?” Eren asked slightly bewildered. “I don’t think we’ve met before.”

            “Eren?” called a familiar voice from behind the girl.

            “Mikasa?” Eren answered. Soon the blonde girl’s cheery face was replaced by Mikasa’s surprised and happy one. She embraced Eren tightly but only let go to acknowledge Levi and Hanji.

            “Master Levi and Squad Leader Hanji, it’s a pleasure to see that you are both okay for the most part,” Mikasa said smoothly while bowing slightly to each. She then turned back to Eren and wheeled him into the large house. The room had a plain, home-like feel to it when Eren saw everyone’s beds. Connie was laying on his bed with his bed, propped up on a pillow and he had posters on the walls of his designated areas. Sasha was in the process of putting up a painting of her and some others who looked like her. Eren could tell that by the somber expression on her face, the people in the painting was most likely her family.

            “Is this where we are going to live then Hanji?” Eren asked.

            “Yes and no. You will live here in the 104 barrack but you will not be here with the others. There’s a back room that is a little bigger and can accommodate two beds,” Hanji said cheerfully. Mikasa however, quirked an eyebrow.

            “Wait so you’re not going to live out here with me and Armin? It’s going to be like the town again?” Eren could tell that by her accusing voice, she was annoyed with him so he jumped on the first thought that came to mind in order to change the subject.

            “So who is everyone here?” Eren asked loudly, blatantly ignoring Mikasa’s question.  At the sound of Eren’s voice, Connie and Sasha both turned around and gasped in surprise.

            “Eren!” Sasha got up to go and hug Eren while Connie was still stuck on his bed. Sasha practically threw herself at Eren and small tears formed from the corners of her eyes from happiness. “We’re all so glad that you’re back.” She released him and wiped her eyes before introducing the people gathered from the other side of the room. Sasha pointed to the small blonde girl who startled Eren. “This is Krista. She’s a very kind person and a skilled waterbender.” Krista blushed slightly at Sasha’s compliments and scratched the back of her neck with a finger gently. The next person Sasha pointed to was a tall girl with dark hair and freckles splashed across her face. “This is Ymir. She’s a skilled earthbender, blunt, and basically involved with Krista.” Ymir glared at Sasha for releasing the last bit of news in front of Hanji and Levi but Sasha quickly waved it off. Sasha pointed lastly at a boy with blonde hair and pronounced sideburns. “This is Thomas. He is nice, laidback, a leader of sorts, but really stern and strict at times. Oh and he’s a firebender.” Thomas grinned and stepped forward to shake Eren’s hand.

            “It’s an honor to meet you in person. I’ve seen you in action before and it was incredible,” Thomas said sincerely. Eren blushed slightly and stuttered out a response.

            “Uh thanks, I-I think um, yeah,” Eren uttered. “So where’s Armin?”

            “Armin went to train with some other airbenders. You’ll probably see him soon or on the way back,” Mikasa replied airily.

            “Hey Mikasa,” Eren began. “Where did you get your new clothes? I kind of want to change what I’m wearing since it’s been a while.”

            “Oh I made myself a bag of clothes and stuff after we had to leave the town. The bags that Petra gave us holds a lot of things so I made one for you and Master Levi as well. I’ll go get them.” Mikasa stood up from her spot next to Eren and walked back into a hallway near the back of the room. Eren rolled after her and Hanji wheeled Levi after Eren. Mikasa walked to a large storage closet and grabbed two backpacks. She unzipped one and tossed it to Eren while handing the other bag to Levi.

            “Say Mikasa, did you happen to bring my tsungi horn?” Levi asked.

            “I tried but they wouldn’t let me pass security at the ground level with it. I gave it to Commander Erwin but I’m not sure what happened to it after that,” Mikasa answered apologetically but Levi merely waved her off.

            “I’m surprised that you even went back for it so don’t worry. And thank you,” Levi said. “It’s the only damn thing I have to help me deal with everyone’s bullshit here sometimes.” Hanji laughed at Levi’s statement while she wheeled him back out to the main room with the others. “Hanji, how long do I have before I have to back to healing?”

            “You have about an hour or two max. Why?”

            “I want to go see Erwin, get back in the loop. The bastard’s been keeping me in the dark and it’s so fucking annoying. I also want to get my tsungi horn.”

            “Okay let’s go there first then,” Eren interjected. Mikasa halted pushing Eren’s wheelchair and spoke up.

            “Why don’t you stay here while they go? You could see when Armin gets back!” she exclaimed.

            Eren glanced up at Mikasa’s saddened expression and decided not to snap at her. “Well technically I’m on a tour so I do need to see where some things are for the future. It is part of my so very important Avatar duties,” he joked. He succeeded in making Mikasa crack a smile and he received a small smack on the back of the head. Mikasa resumed pushing Eren back to the main room to say his goodbyes to his new soon-to-be roommates and Mikasa.

            “Oh! Squad Leader Hanji!” Mikasa called out before Hanji and Levi were too far out the door. “About how long will Eren still be in the infirmary?”

            “After a few more days, he should be alright to leave. That burn on his leg though is going to hurt like a bitch even more than it already does if he doesn’t stay on crutches for the first two days out,” Hanji shouted to Mikasa, catching accusing glares at her choice of words. Mikasa thanked Hanji and closed the door to the 104th Barrack as Eren wheeled himself behind Levi and Hanji.

            “Okay so off to Erwin’s?” Eren asked.

            “Yes…Brat,” Levi drawled out.

            “Thanks, Heichou,” Eren said and Levi could practically hear Eren’s smirk.

-X-

            “Good morning class! Today we will be learning the air slice technique,” Erwin declared to the group of level three airbenders, Armin amongst them. “Now part of being a great bender, is being able to learn on the spot. Therefore, I am only going to show you how to perform this move. You will have to figure it out on your own. If you have any questions or need to see it again you can ask Armin near the front and Nifa in the back; they already know this.” Erwin turned to the side so that his students could see it performed better and took a deep breath. He exhaled slowly and raised his hands to the familiar airbending stance. He lifted his left hand high above his head and extended his right hand to his right. With a quiet grunt, he quite literally sliced through the air with his left hand and moved his right hand to follow suit. A sharp gust of wind protruded from Erwin’s hands and the airbenders gasped in amazement. “Okay, there was your demonstration. Now, begin!” Erwin was watching his group of students when he felt a whiz of air from behind him. He tilted his head to the right and dodged the speeding pebble. Chuckling, Erwin turned around to be greeted by an irritated Levi and laughing Eren and Hanji.

            “Good to know that your reflexes are still sharp,” Levi drawled out. “But I still would have loved to see the rock hit you.”

            “Nice to see you too Levi. Are you and Hanji giving Eren a tour of the place?”

            “Actually Erwin, it’s just me giving the tour,” Hanji replied. “Levi hasn’t done much other than bitch and complain the whole tour. Eren here on the other hand, he’s a blessing!” Levi promptly began to protest Hanji’s comments and Eren blushed awkwardly while angling his wheelchair to hide his blush.

            “Actually Erwin, we didn’t just come for chitchat. I need to be up to speed since you decided not to tell me shit while I was healing. Since Eren’s going to find out anyway, it doesn’t fuck anything if he knows too I assume?” Levi stated bluntly.

            “I wanted you to focus primarily on healing but since you’re out and about, I don’t see the harm in telling you the current state of things. We’ll need to go to my house first; I don’t want anyone from my class to overhear anything.” Levi nodded at Erwin’s words and Hanji turned his chair around to lead the way. He noticed something was wrong when they were a few paces away.

            “Oi, Brat! Wheel your ass over here; we’re going to Erwin’s.” Eren nodded absently and wheeled his chair over to where Levi was before stopping again and glancing at Erwin.

            “Commander Erwin? Is it alright if I take Armin with us? I wanted to get caught up since I haven’t seen him yet,” Eren asked hopefully.

            “I don’t see the harm in it. He already knows this technique. He just can’t talk about the information that will be discussed until I say,” Erwin said sternly. Eren nodded to Erwin’s words with a grin before thrusting his hand down in front of him. At the same time amongst the airbenders, Armin, who was talking to a particularly cute girl, was thrown into the air by a giant earth pillar that rose from seemingly nowhere. He was launched away from the group and his eyes were wide in terror as he screamed.  Armin was fast approaching the ground, so he let out an air blast from his hands to cushion his fall. Instead of tumbling to a stop, Armin gracefully landed on his feet.

            “What the hell?” Armin muttered to himself as he took in the group that was in front of him. Armin’s eyes widened even more as he saw who was in front of him. He immediately bowed but stumbled at getting his words out. “Master Erwin, Squad Leader Levi, and Leader Squad, I mean Squad Leader Hanji; good morning!” The three officials chuckled at Armin’s attempt of an introduction but Armin was sure he heard a fourth voice behind him. The fourth voice wheeled itself around Hanji and Armin’s mouth fell open as he saw his best friend grinning.

“EREN!” Armin shouted and ran to give Eren a hug. “It’s so good to see you out and about! Did you already see Mikasa and our new roommates?”

            “Yes. I’m on a tour of the place for maybe an hour and a half more; then it’s back to the infirmary,” Eren confirmed.

            Armin’s happy expression fell after a moment to an annoyed scowl and narrowed eyes. He immediately slapped Eren upside the head with an accusing glare. “What the fuck Eren? I could have gotten seriously injured in that stupid stunt you pulled! Not to mention I was talking to a cute girl over there which you oh so rudely interrupted.” Armin was only steadily getting more riled up as Eren burst out laughing along with Hanji and Erwin.

            “Sorry about that Armin but I’ve been dying to earthbend and now was an opportunity,” Eren wheezed out between laughs.

            “Yeah well, shove it.” Eren erupted into more howls of laughter at Armin’s words and began to wheel himself to follow Levi. While Armin and Eren chatted about their lives, Levi bombarded Erwin with questions from his wheelchair.

            “Oi Erwin. Where’s my tsungi horn?” he demanded.

            Erwin chuckled before answering. “I was waiting for that question. It’s in my closet; I haven’t played it but I have a shine for it since I assume you’re going to want to do that.” Levi opened his mouth to make a snide remark but as Hanji turned the wheelchair, his left foot banged against a rock. He gasped loudly as an intense wave of pain washed over him.

            “Agh! Fucking hell Hanji, watch it! There is a reason I’m in a wheelchair you know,” he muttered angrily.

            “Sorry Levi,” Hanji chirped. “On the bright side, we’re here!” As she rolled Levi into Erwin’s house, Levi could tell that she was being particularly careful not to nudge his foot. It was moments like these that Levi really appreciated Hanji; she always would take his account into consideration, even for the simplest things. As Levi was wheeled up, he heard bits from Eren’s conversation with Armin.

            “It’s so warm down here. Do you think they have this giant heater of something?” Eren asked Armin.

            “I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure it’s natural heat since we’re pretty far down. On the surface though, I heard that it snowed already,” Armin replied cheerily.

            “Really?” Eren exclaimed. “Aw damn it! I won’t be able to see the snow since I have to start training again as soon as I can. Wait a minute what month are we even in for it to start snowing like this?”

            “It’s the second week of October.” Eren’s eyes widened impossibly wide and his mouth dropped open. “Maybe if you stopped getting knocked unconscious, you would know these things,” Armin teased. As Eren came across the ramp, Armin helped push him up and into Erwin’s house.

            As soon as they were all in the house, Erwin closed the door and ushered Hanji and Levi to his office in the opposite of the house. Eren went to follow but Erwin stopped him. “Eren stay with Armin. If there is anything that you need to know, ask Levi when you are in the infirmary.” Eren wanted to protest Erwin’s orders but he knew that the man probably had a scheme to discuss; so he waited outside in the living room with Armin. Armin took the moment of being alone with Eren, to ask the question that had been burning in him for days now.

            “Eren, are you in a relationship with Levi?” he blurted out. Armin blushed at his statement for being so blunt but he couldn’t help it. Eren in return, blushed deeply and stumbled over his next words.

            “Why- what- I mean. What?”

            “Are you in a relationship with Squad Leader Levi?” Armin said slowly so that Eren heard his every word.

            “Well,” he started. “Wait why do you want to know?”

            “I’m not an idiot Eren. I can tell by the way you tend to gush over his greatness and your reluctance to leave him in the Spirit World. Also, I know that you were lying about your story; your ears were red.”

            “Alright; I’ll tell you the truth but please don’t tell Mikasa until I’m ready to tell her.” Eren waited for Armin to nod before beginning his tale. “So when I found out that Levi was missing back in the town, I kind of went off. You should remember, you were there. Anyway when Mikasa began to cry and I took her to my room, I kind of broke down too. I confessed to her that I was in love with Levi and then the next day I accidentally ventured into the spirit world.

            “When I found Levi in the spirit world, um we were alone and um after I unchained him, I kissed him.” Eren’s face felt like it was on fire from the amount of red he turned but he continued his story. “So we were kissing but then Levi broke away because I’m seventeen and he doesn’t want to be involved with a minor. It sucks for now but he says that he actually does like me and he just wants to wait until I’m eighteen before it becomes official dating. I understand his reasoning so I’m not pushing for anything but to answer your question, I wouldn’t say that I’m _in_ one. It’s more like I’m going to be in one.” Eren shifted his eyes to Armin’s concerned ones and groaned. “Armin I swear if you pull a Mikasa right now and try to scold me because of the age gap, I will leave you here.”

            “By what you said, it seems like Mikasa is okay with it but I wasn’t going to. Just make sure that he makes you happy, okay? Things like age gaps don’t really matter anymore in this world we live in. One moment you can be there and the next you can be dead so it’s better to find happiness when you can; it looks to me like you’ve found yours so I approve.” Eren smiled in relief and leaned over to give Armin and awkward hug from his wheelchair.

            “Thanks Armin,” he whispered.

            “Oh Eren! I can’t believe I forgot, look at the morning paper!” Armin pulled a copy of the Ba Sing Se Times from under his tunic and shoved it into Eren’s face. Eren scanned the first page and his jaw dropped.

            “I’m on the front page?” He began to read the article aloud to Armin. “’It’s been seventeen years for most people since the death of Avatar Ilse but humanity has found the candle of hope burning with the identity of the newest Avatar, Eren Jaeger. ‘The seventeen year old from his hometown of Shinganshina, has already joined the Survey Corps and has already been helping to slow the Titans,’ says Commander Erwin of the Survey Corps. The whereabouts of the Avatar have been kept secret from the public but news of his arrival has the world in a frenzy. The Fire Sages have finished construction on the new temple in his name, likewise in the Air Temples and the Water Tribes.’” The article went on depicting Eren in every detail, from his eye color to how he was in recovery. Eren was stunned and slightly annoyed that he had no say in this but he was too surprised to care.

            “I see you have the morning’s paper,” Erwin said as he, Hanji, and Levi rolled back into the room. “That’s good. Now I don’t need to tell you that before giving you this letter.” Erwin handed Eren a thick envelope with the Seal of the Bagermole, the mark of a royal letter. Eren took the letter with shaky hands and opened it. His eyes widened again and as he read the letter, he glanced up to Erwin in shock many times. When he finished the letter, he spoke up in a shaky voice.

            “Wait so is this real? I can really meet him?” Eren asked, excitement coursing through his system as Erwin nodded his head.

            “Want to fill the rest of us, who didn’t read the letter, in Brat?” Levi asked in an exasperated tone.

            Eren grabbed the letter from the floor, where it landed after sliding through his trembling fingers. “’To Avatar Eren Jaeger, we are pleased to hear about your timely arrival into the city. The King has requested your audience for tea on October 31st to discuss your plans on defeating the Titans. Please send a letter back with the Seal of the Avatar in three days’ time to determine if you can or cannot attend and the amount of guests you intend on bringing. Commander Erwin is invited by default. Thank you for your time; we sincerely hope for your presence. Signed General Pyxis.’” Eren grinned happily and almost tried to stand up. Armin managed to keep Eren seated but Eren was far too excited.

            “The 31st is in two weeks,” Levi spoke up.

“You both should be healed enough to be out and about walking. I still want you both on crutches though until you can walk without feeling any pain,” Hanji declared.

            “Speaking of pain, Hanji I need to get back,” Levi said through grit teeth. He had tried to ignore the pain coming in waves from his ankle, but now he could feel it in every muscle in each movement he made. He grit his teeth hard his face fell into a stiff grimace.

            Hanji glanced at Levi and saw the gleam of sweat already forming above his brow. “Okay let’s go. You too Eren.” As Hanji and Levi said a few parting words to Erwin, Eren folded the letter and stuffed it into his shirt before saying good bye to Armin and wheeling himself out behind Levi and Hanji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 31 Saturday! Btw, the nickname Hanji called Levi was Lever, which he despised.  
> Thanks for reading, leave a comment to tell me what you thought! I do love feedback!  
> Or come talk to me on tumblr at: 'chibinico'


	31. Relapses and Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not everything is as it seems for Levi. Eren is discharged and reunites with the 104th group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the ending notes; some important shit. This chapter....4K words. These updates are getting longer and longer. Also, some touchy cute Levi/Hanji moments coming up- PURELY platonic moments but they are cute. Hope you like! 
> 
> Enjoy!

 

            “Wheelchair or crutches?” Hanji asked Eren. Eren furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and looked at Hanji.

            “What do you mean? I thought I was discharged,” Eren said bluntly. Eren wanted to leave the infirmary as soon as possible and start training again but if he had to be on crutches, he figured that he wouldn’t be allowed to begin. The thought frustrated him but he managed to keep a lid on his anger and annoyance.

            “You are but you first need to be on crutches or in a wheelchair for your leg,” Hanji replied cheerily.  “It’s only mandatory for the first two to three days. After that, you only use them if it’s bothering you.” Eren groaned loudly at Hanji’s words and he received a flick on the back of his head that made him jump. Eren whipped his head around to see Levi, who was finally moving around with only crutches now, standing with his arms crossed against his chest as he leaned on the crutches supporting him.

            “Stop complaining. At least for you its only two or three days, mandatory. I have to be on crutches for at least a week, mandatory. They’re such a fucking nuisance too…,” he trailed off. Levi glared at the floor for a moment then snapped his head back up to face Eren. “Get the crutches.”

            “I thought you just told me that they’re, and I quote, ‘a fucking nuisance’. Are you taking that back?” Eren smiled at Levi’s I’m-so-done-right-now expression.

            “They are an issue but for me because of…problems. They probably will suit you better anyway so go for them. You’re going to need arm muscle to learn firebending and airbending anyway so it’s not really a problem.” Levi shrugged his shoulders and turned to walk back to his temporary room. His stay at the infirmary was coming to a close but he still had a few days left.

            “So wheelchair or crutches?” Hanji asked again.

            Eren sighed but chose the crutches and sat down on Hanji’s desk chair as she left the room for a moment. She returned skipping and easily fitted the crutches to match his legs. Eren got up and placed his weight on the crutches carefully before trying to move. He fell to the ground swearing more than once but on his fourth try, he finally took his first step. And then another one. And then another one until he walked over to the other side of the room.

            “So do you think you’d be able to walk around the base Eren?” Hanji asked curiously.

            “I think so. What time is it?”

            “It’s almost six; nearly dinner.”

            “Mikasa and Armin will be going down so if I leave now for the 104th barrack, I should reach them under five minutes I think,” he pondered aloud. “Yes, that sounds about right.” Eren turned around to face Hanji. “So to reach the barrack, I go straight until I see the airbender fields and turn right, correct?”

            “No. When you reach the airbender fields, go left. I’m sure Mikasa and Armin will show you to the dining hall so don’t worry about that,” Hanji said with a smile.

            “Okay thanks. I’m just going to say good bye to Levi and I’ll be on my way,” Eren said, his cheeks brightening lightly. Hanji nodded her head and walked over to her desk to immerse herself in work and give Eren and Levi some alone time. Eren slowly but surely made his way to Levi’s door and knocked firmly.

            “Come in,” said a groggy, rough voice. Eren turned the knob to Levi’s door and entered the spotless room, closing the door behind him. Levi was lying in bed under the covers. Judging by his slightly ruffled hair, Eren guessed that he just woke up from a nap. “I thought you were Hanji. Didn’t you leave yet?”

            “I wanted to say good bye first.” Eren crossed the room and sat on the bed. Levi sat up and the blankets fell down to reveal a bruised, thinned but muscular chest. Eren’s eyes scanned Levi’s body with a slight gleam in them and Levi shrunk away. He noticed Levi’s movements but his mind was elsewhere. He thought about the spirits that had hurt Levi. Eren could feel his anger rising the more he thought about them and how they pleaded for help. Why should he help them though after what they did to Levi? They deserved whatever they had coming. Eren snapped out of his darkening thoughts and the gleam in his eyes vanished as he heard Levi let out a small gasp of pain. He looked at Levi’s face carefully before trying to comfort him. Levi’s expression was one of pure terror. His eyes were wide and he grit his teeth hard, trying to get away from Eren. “Levi?” Eren called softly; he had never seen him act like this. He wasn’t sure what to do, so he tried to place a hand on Levi’s but Levi jerked back at his touch.

            “D-don’t touch me. I know what you are. You’re just like Annie; a titan spirit,” Levi spat out. Eren widened his eyes in surprise. He didn’t understand Levi’s actions.

            “Levi it’s me, Eren. Remember me? We kissed in the cave and we’re going to be together as of the end of March? We planned this out remember?” Eren was genuinely confused. Maybe Levi was having a relapse of some sort from the trauma from the last few weeks.

            “You’re not my Eren. He’s different; his eyes don’t get a fucking gleam whenever he sees my injuries.” Levi was shaking slightly now but Eren looked like Levi had just slapped him. He blinked in shock a few times before trying to reach for Levi’s hand again. “Don’t touch me!” Levi yelled louder this time. “G-get away!” Levi clutched his hand away from Eren and held it to his chest. His breathing became slightly more labored and the room seemed to be a hundred degrees.

            “Levi you need to calm down. If you-“

            “Stay away from me! Leave me the fuck alone!” Levi interrupted. He was yelling very loud now and Eren wasn’t surprised when Hanji came barging through the door with a serious expression.

            “Eren what’s going on?” she demanded.

            “I don’t know! I came to tell him I was leaving and he sat up and the blanket fell and it showed his injuries. After that he started acting like he didn’t know me.” Hanji nodded to Eren’s words and pushed him off the bed. She slid into his place and gently but firmly placed her hands on Levi’s arms.

            “Sleep Levi,” she commanded.

            “Get away from me! You don’t know me!” Levi yelled as he thrashed his legs that were under the covers.

            “It’s me, Hanji. I was with Erwin when we found you in the base house in the Fire Nation. Remember Farlon and Isabelle? Remember Petra, Oluo, Eld, and Gunther? Remember how they all died?” Hanji’s words were harsh but she delivered them each softly. At the names of each of his late comrades, Levi slowly stopped shaking. He nodded at Hanji’s questions and his eyes shone with confusion.

            “H-Hanji?” he whispered. He turned to look at the standing Eren. “E-Eren? What am I-“Levi slumped forward onto Hanji’s chest and passed out. Eren moved forward but Hanji just held up a hand.

            “He was in shock Eren. I’m not that surprised but I’ll tell him that you left after he wakes up later. Go to the barracks or you’ll miss Armin and Mikasa.” Eren wanted to protest but ultimately decided that it would be better if he’d leave then. Eren glanced at Levi’s twisted face in Hanji’s arms as she laid him back under his blankets and walked out of the room with a frown tugging at his lips.  

            A cold wind swept through the cavern and Eren couldn’t help but shiver as Levi’s words echoed in his mind. He knew that he was going into shock and that he probably didn’t mean it but still. Levi had claimed that Eren’s eyes were gleaming when he saw his injuries. Is that what set him off? Eren shook his head to clear his thoughts. The next time he visited, he’s ask Hanji what she thought about what Levi had said. As Eren came to the airbender fields, he turned left and paused from walking with the crutches to rub his arms. It was practically winter on the surface so he’d have to get some new clothes soon. He swore to himself and walked up to the barrack numbered 104. He knocked twice loudly and was greeted by Connie.

            “Oh hey Eren! Did Hanji let you out?” he asked while moving to the side to let Eren in.

            “Yup. I’m going to be on crutches for a few more days, then I can start getting back to more rigorous training,” Eren said as he took in his surroundings. It seemed like no one except for Connie was in the barrack. “Where is everyone? Did they already go to dinner?”

            Connie limped back to his bed, careful not to put too much weight on his leg. “Yeah. They won’t be long though. Since I can’t really leave the barrack with my leg and all, the others decided to bring dinner here. I’m sure Mikasa will bring you something; she said earlier that you would be coming anytime now.” Eren nodded and sat down on an empty bed. “I wouldn’t sit there,” Connie warned.

            “Why, what happened?” Eren asked curiously.

            “That’s Jean and Marco’s bed. I saw them making out on it once,” Connie replied while shuddering at the memory. Eren shot up so fast that he wacked his off the top of the next bed and quickly started rubbing his rear.

            “Gross! I sat where Jean was,” Eren spat with obvious distaste.

            “That’s the part that makes your stomach turn?”

            Eren glanced up and he continued to try and brush off Jean germs. “Well yea. I’m gay so I don’t have a problem with them making out although Marco could do so much better than that horse-faced asshole.”

            Connie burst out laughing and held his sides. “W-what did you call him?”

            “I said that he’s a horse-faced asshole,” Eren said as he dragged out a different chair to sit in.

            “I’m guessing that there’s a story behind your hatred. Want to share?”

            “Sure. So I had wanted to go out to some place where Marco and Jean were supposedly going. I ran outside to them and after I asked if I could go with them, the horse opens his fucking mouth and starts spewing out shit. He was all like ‘we’re already outside dumbass’ and then the fucker decides to challenge me to a goddamn duel! Like I didn’t have enough shit to worry about. Marco broke everything up before we actually had the chance to start fighting but I’m pretty confident that I would wipe the floor with his ass. Then he fucking mocked my title as the Avatar. Stupid fucking horse man, Jean!” Eren finished his rant with huff while Connie was busy wiping tears from his eyes as quickly as they came. There was a knock on the door and Eren stood up to answer it. He yanked the door and Mikasa, Armin, Sasha, Krista, Ymir, Jean, Marco, and Thomas all walked into the room.

            “Eren!” Mikasa said happily before throwing her arms around her brother “Have you been discharged from the infirmary?” Eren nodded with a large grin and hugged Mikasa again.

            “The Avatar is back!” Eren said with a smirk. Everyone in the barrack groaned at Eren’s horrible joke but Jean was the only one who made a comment and soured the happy mood.

            “Someone’s full of it,” Jean said load enough for Eren to hear.

            Eren, however, was not about to let that horse-faced dickhead ruin everyone’s mood. “I may be full of it, but I’m not the one who’s currently been full of dick,” Eren said half chuckling. The room grew silent as everyone processed what Eren had said with their mouths starting to drop open. Jean and Marco’s faces grew dark red and when Jean started spluttering words to get back at Eren, Connie fell to the floor laughing so hard that tears were strolling down his face. Sasha sat Connie up but couldn’t help but laugh too. Soon enough the whole room was laughing hard, even Mikasa. Jean took a step towards Eren but Marco grabbed his wrist and pulled him back gently. The group of comrades quieted their laughter to hear Marco when they saw him open his mouth.

            “Jean you can’t be mad at him for being right.” Marco blushed profusely but forced out his next words. “Y-you’ve definitely been full of dick.” Marco planted a quick kiss on Jean’s check before the room erupted in laughter again.  

            “Watch out everyone!” Ymir cried out. “We’ve got ourselves a guru going bad!” Marco stuttered out a response but no one could hear over the laughter filling the room.

            “Hey Sasha!” Connie called out. “Where’s the food? Some people are actually hungry!”

            “It’s over here!” Sasha got up and walked to her bed, where she had placed the bags of food they brought with them. She made her way around the room passing out food to everyone. “Oh Eren, you haven’t had the dining hall’s food yet have you?”

            “Nope. In the infirmary, Hanji just kept feeding me the stuff my body didn’t get for the days I was in the Spirit World. Is it good?”

            “Is it good?” Thomas scoffed.

            “It’s terrific Eren,” Armin said excitedly. “They have food from all over the nations and it’s in buffet style so you can pick what type of cuisine you want!”

            “Here. This is what I got you,” Mikasa said pushing a bowl of soup into his hands. She watched intently as Eren examined the soup, and tenderly lifted up the spoon to take a sip. Eren’s eyes grew wide and he slowly turned to Mikasa, eyes tearing up.

            “Is this…?” He faltered, unable to finish the question. Mikasa smiled and nodded her head while Eren let his tears run down is face. Happy memories came back to him in a rush. He remembered cooking in the kitchen and singing with his mother when they were the only ones in the house. He remembered that when he twelve and had gotten into another fight, his mother scolded him for a week and wouldn’t let him earthbend for two weeks. The last and fondest memory was of Eren sitting on his mom’s lap sick, while she fed him her special soup. He would always remember the distinct taste because she would always say that she added a secret ingredient that no one was ever allowed to see. As quick as they came, the barrage of memories ceased and Eren blinked, clearing his eyes. “It’s…her soup; Mom’s special soup. But how?”

            Mikasa shook her head and looked at Eren with concern. “I don’t know how they made it but I don’t think they know Mom’s secret ingredient. Theirs is missing a spice I think.” Eren nodded and wiped his face.

            “Damn. I never thought I’d taste this again,” Eren said to himself as he looked back at the bowl.

            “Me neither,” Armin said as he sat down next to Eren and Mikasa. “I think the last time we all just sat down eating your mom’s soup was back in Shiganshina.” Eren nodded and swallowed another spoonful of his favorite soup, humming contently.

-X-

            Hanji walked to the back of the infirmary to Levi’s room while carrying a tray of food. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer. When she heard none, she creaked the door open and looked around the room cautiously. She found that Levi’s bedsheets were ripped off the bed and the man himself was tucked into the darkest corner of the room, head on his knees. Hanji waked in and closed the door loud enough to alert him to Hanji’s presence. She placed the tray on the bed and walked over to sit next to Levi.

            She waited a few moments in silence before speaking up. “You want to tell me about it?”

            Levi shifted how he was sitting before answering. “I don’t want to talk.”

            Hanji nodded to herself before speaking again. “That’s okay. You’ll tell me when you’re ready. In the meantime though, I want to tell you something.” She paused to look at Levi’s form and he nodded his head although he didn’t meet her eyes. “When you were taken, I had a breakdown.” Levi stiffened at her words but Hanji pressed forward. “I haven’t been able to talk to you about this because it’s really personal but I think now’s a good time as ever so here goes nothing.” Hanji turned and faced Levi completely.

            “I had a breakdown. Anyone who knew me well could see it. I went through my daily tasks and went to sleep and went to train and move people around but that’s all I did. I went to places and did things; I wasn’t really living. And I wasn’t because I lost my brother, my best friend…my everything. I never got to tell you how important you are to me Levi but I feel like I really should. When you left, a piece of me left too and I really wasn’t the same. And when you came back, I felt everything align again in my life. You were back and breathing if just breathing but you were found. I was skeptical at first to allow myself to hope you’d be the same man before you left but I knew some things would have changed. Therefore I put on a mask. I didn’t want anyone to see what I was going through but with each day that you got better, my mask kept slipping. And you know what? I’m back. I feel happy and jittery again and I just want to stick my arms in the eyes of Titans to examine them from the inside out. I want to go nightsurfing again with you and Erwin and beat you guys at Speed Chase. I owe Eren my life for what he did to find you, even if he had his own reasons.” Hanji stopped talking and took a shuddering breath. Levi lifted his head slowly and looked at Hanji with strong, silver-blue eyes that were filled with hurt.

            “T-thank you Hanji. I really think I needed that. And it’s not you or Eren by the way, it’s just…” he trailed off, not sure where to start.

            “You don’t have to tell me now if you don’t want to,” Hanji said reassuringly.

            “No. I need to tell someone and I trust you.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Ever since I got back, I’ve kind of been on edge and today with Eren, something about him triggered my episode or panic attack I guess you can call it. Something happened between the two of us when he found me in the Spirit World that we agreed not to tell Erwin, or at least not yet.” At these words, Hanji’s eyebrows shot up. Levi sighed warily and pressed on.

            “We kissed in the cave but I told him that I couldn’t be with him until he was eighteen. He understood and stuff but I guess you could say that we’re something? Anyway, when he came in my room, he said he was going to leave and he held my hand. I sat up and then things went wrong from there. The blanket revealed my chest-you know how bruised and marked it is- and he stared at me. At first it was okay but then his eyes started to fucking gleam the more he stared at me. It was like when I was in the Spirit World and the three spirits I met… T-they were nice and then they attacked me. I guess it was like a trigger or something but I said really awful things to him…and I’m afraid that he won’t forgive me.” Levi’s scared and defeated voice didn’t settle well in Hanji’s heart. She felt like she was looking at a shell of a broken man. And she would be the one to help heal that man so she gently wrapped her arms around Levi and held him close, murmuring words of comfort. 

            “I’m glad that you and Eren are finally becoming something but have a little more faith in yourself, Levi. You’re too hard on yourself; if anything, Eren might give you some space for the rest of the night to let you recover and cool down before visiting you tomorrow when he’s out of training. This is your first serious relationship, right?” Levi nodded into Hanji’s shoulder, where his head was. “Have faith that it’ll work out. Eren’s a good guy and he’s only going to come around once in a lifetime. Him being the Avatar and fighting a giant war are the only perks and disadvantages. Now listen up and face me,” Hanji said strictly. Levi sat up with sad eyes but faced Hanji. “I can only heal your physical injuries. You have to be the one to heal your mind.” Hanji stood up and looked down at Levi’s sitting figure. She extended a hand down for Levi to grasp and spoke the words she knew would motivate him.

            “Will you help me, help Eren, do that? Will you pick yourself up again one more time and become even better than the man you were?” Levi looked up at Hanji, his eyes hardened and radiating determination.

            “Christ Hanji, that had to be the most fucking cliché thing I’ve ever heard,” he deadpanned.

            “Oh shut up and just take my hand already,” Hanji protested.

            Levi still didn’t lighten his stoic expression but he grasped Hanji’s hand and let her help him up. He shook off some dust from his pants and began to speak. “You’re right though.  I have to get better, it’s not just for me anymore. I have to hurry and get better for Eren’s sake; I’ve got people depending on me.” He took a step towards his bed but almost made ended up on the floor again. Hanji grabbed his arm before he could fall and Levi grasped on to her for balance. “For fuck’s sake! Hanji please tell me that you have another way for me to get around without messing up my ankle.”

            Hanji tapped her chin thoughtfully before replying to Levi’s request. “I could get Moblit to go talk to some of my friends from above ground. I know that there’s a boot they made to help people who hurt their ankles but since you’re a teaching firebender, you’ll need one that’s fireproof.”

            “Just give me it and I won’t firebend from my legs until it’s healed.”

            “Okay!” Hanji said cheerily. “But you need to eat your dinner first.”

            “No shit; I’m starving,” Levi hobbled quickly to his bed to eagerly devour his dinner and let a small grin take his features as he called out to Hanji. “I see that you got me the dining hall dinner and not the shit you call food that my body supposedly needs.”

            “Yup! They had some of the traditional Fire Nation food you liked so I thought I get some for you.”

            “Any wine?”

            “Levi I’m your friend but also your healer. No alcohol dumbass.”

            “It was still worth asking,” Levi said with a shrug. Hanji chuckled and walked over to sit on the other side of Levi’s bed and snatched up a small slice of bread. “Oi, didn’t you already stuff your face?” Hanji laughed at Levi’s comment but nibbled at the bread in her hand.

“Here,” Levi grunted and shoved the rest of the bread loaf into Hanji’s hands. Hanji gingerly accepted the food and they ate a small, quiet dinner together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 32 tomorrow!  
> Okay, here comes the tough shit I have to tell you all. Due to a recent increase of my school work load, I may-emphasis on "may"- have to possibly stop...updating...for a bit. I feel absolutely terrible for this semi-mini hiatus but thankfully, it shouldn't have to start until Feb. 14th. If I don't stop updating maybe cut down to at least one chapter a week. I really want to pay close attention to these next weeks because they lead into the final arc and I really don't want to rush those chapters, especially at such a crucial point. Maybe I'll have time by the end of this week but just in case I don't, you all know now. Once again, I heavily apologize for having to do this but it's a must. I promise that when I do have the chance, I'll be writing. I definitely intend on finishing this fic and even starting a new one so this will not be a permanent hiatus. 
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos, hits, and feedback! If you want to tell me something, on this or any chapter, you can leave a comment or come talk to me on tumblr at "chibinico"


	32. Welcome Back Captain Levi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is discharged from the infirmary and Eren is a happy little shit about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the longest chapter i may have so far with a grand total of nearly 6K. Holy shit. I really like this chapter cause there's not too much angst, just fluff, in it and just cute Ereri. 
> 
> Enjoy!

            Eren developed a new morning routine that he was quite fond of after a week of living in the headquarters. In the morning, he would go to the dining hall with Mikasa and Armin to get breakfast. After sneaking some food, he would go to the infirmary and spend the rest of the morning with Levi. Eren was very happy with his rate of improvement. Hanji had told him that Levi would be getting a boot by the end of the day and that he’d be discharged from his stay. Even though Eren himself had gotten off his crutches after three days, Levi would have to be in his boot for at least another week, or until he felt that his ankle could support his weight.

            Eren walked into the infirmary with a cup of ginseng tea and a hidden bag of purple berries for Levi. He walked further in and greeted Hanji as usual before heading back to Levi’s room. He heard a soft tune of music coming from his room and Eren picked up his pace slightly, excited to see Levi play again. When Eren reached the door, without spilling a single drop of tea somehow, he gently pushed it open and walked in. Levi was sitting up on his bed playing the tsungi horn that was ridiculously large in comparison to his tiny body. Levi glanced up at hearing the silent door open and a small smile graced his lips.

            “You’re late today,” he said gently. Eren chuckled and walked over to Levi’s bedside, pulled out a chair, and collapsed into it.

            “I may be late, but I brought you some goodies from the dining hall.” Eren grinned and raised the bag of purple berries and the ginseng tea. “They’re your favorites’ right?” Levi’s eyes widened a fraction and he eagerly snatched the purple berries.

            “I haven’t had these since I was a kid… Thank you Eren.” Levi looked up sincerely at Eren and softened his eyes. Eren blushed and looked at his shoes while muttering something along the lines of ‘they’re just berries’. Levi chuckled at the thought of how often Eren forgot his keen hearing and lowered his eyes to Eren’s hand, lying on his bed. He moved his hand over cautiously and interlaced their fingers. Eren jerked his head up at the feel of contact and looked at Levi questioningly.

            “I thought you said no affection except the sharing of clothing until I’m eighteen,” Eren stated with a raised eyebrow.

            “I changed my mind. No public shows of affection until we tell Erwin and you’re eighteen. It’ll be easier on both of us,” Levi replied softly. Eren grinned again and squeezed his hand in Levi’s.

            “Okay then. Does that mean I can kiss you?” Eren asked with a brow raised.

            “Does this answer your question?” Levi leaned forward and gently placed his lips on Eren’s slightly chapped ones while he slid his other hand into Eren’s messy brown locks. Just as Levi began to deepen their kiss, he tensed up and pushed Eren away. Eren looked hurt but he soon understood why when Hanji burst through the door. She had a grin on her face but it soon fell when she saw that Eren was just sitting on the chair looking bewildered while Levi glared at her.

            “Hanji? Is there something wrong?” Eren asked.

            “You interrupted a good conversation so if you have something to say, shit it out,” Levi said with a huff. Hanji laughed at Levi’s remark and replied easily.

            “Levi your shit jokes are actually becoming better. Maybe in time, you’ll be as funny as me. Anyway, I came to get Eren. Erwin wants to start your airbending training before you see the Earth King, which is now in one week mind you; he’s in the airbending fields. I know you want to stay with Levi, but just come by after dinner and you’ll be able to leave with him.” Eren raised an eyebrow in confusion at Hanji before she elaborated. “Remember, he’s getting that boot today? Geez Eren, maybe I should check your brain for damage; I told you that earlier.” Eren blushed and laughed awkwardly as he stood to leave. He glanced down at Levi again and smiled.

            “I’ll pick you up later then,” Eren said with a knowing smirk towards Levi. He made his way towards the door and said a quick goodbye to Hanji before walking outside to meet with Erwin.

            “Levi,” Hanji started as soon as she heard the door close. “You might want to cool down your eye intensity. I can see the lust.” She began to laugh heartily and Levi promptly chucked the pillow behind him towards her head. Hanji froze the tiny particles of water in front of her into a shield just as the pillow made contact. Hanji cackled louder as she turned and left Levi’s room.

-X-

            Eren walked to the airbending fields to see Erwin and to his surprise, Armin. Erwin turned to face Eren and smiled. “Avatar Eren. I see you’re getting around nicely?”

            “For the most part, yes. Hey Armin,” he said with a wave.

            “Hey Eren. Sifu Erwin said that I could help with your training,” Armin said causally.

            “Okay, so let’s begin,” Eren said happily.

            “Uh actually Eren, you might want to change,” Armin said. Eren glanced down at his clothes. He was wearing what he always wore: white pants that reached his knees, a forest green tunic, and black flats. He had also taken to wearing green and yellow decorated metal arm bands by his muscular biceps. “As an airbender, you want to be able to move swiftly through the air but at the same time, you want to able to use the air to your advantage. That’s why I like to wear my air tunic- it is light but it helps me control air currents,” Armin said smiling as he looked down at his clothes fondly.

            “That’s a good idea Armin,” Erwin began. “But Eren will most likely be wearing something more closely along the lines of what he is wearing right now in battle, when he will use the element. Speaking of which, let’s begin.” Eren and Armin both turned to face Erwin as he took control of the lesson. “The first thing you need to know how to do Eren, is how to balance. Air is after all the element of balance and it is an essential element to learn as it is the Avatar’s duty to bring balance to the world.” Eren nodded and Erwin continued. “The first exercise is simple enough; I want you to balance on one foot.” Erwin raised his left leg and both Armin and Eren mimicked him.

            “How long do you want me to stay like this?” Eren asked.

            “Until you can’t anymore,” Erwin replied. Eren raised his eyebrows in surprise. The task itself wasn’t hard but Eren soon found himself struggling. He bit his lip in determination but his right leg was definitely wobbling. He glanced up and swore under his breath when he saw that the only one having difficulty maintaining their balance was him. The look unfortunately cost him more than a quick swear. Eren’s balance was quickly lost and he began to swing his arms wildly to try and keep it. His efforts were in vain and he soon found himself on the ground. 

            “Damn it,” Eren whispered to himself. He got up and looked at Erwin, irritation planted inside of him. “Should I do it again?”

            “Yes but try your other leg,” Erwin said calmly. Eren lifted up his right leg but left trembled beneath him without its other support. Sooner than he thought, Eren found himself on the floor again. Eren groaned angrily and Erwin up next to him. “Eren, what is your natural element?”

            “Earth, why?”

            “That’s why. Earth and air are opposites so it’s going to take you a little bit to get accustomed to air. Right now, you need to learn and act like an airbender would. Air is a bit of a sly element; it’s disguised in different forms but they’re not always seen. Like Armin over here, he seems small and defenseless right? No offense of course but in reality, he is always sharp minded and calculating. Air looks harmless and maybe a little pushy at times, but it can also be deadly.  An airbender would simple push the rock with air while an earthbender might try to lift it or push it with earth. You need to open your mind to think of other possibilities to solve your problems.” Eren nodded at Erwin’s words and tried to relax and think of another way to balance on one leg. He carefully raised his left leg and leaned forward, moving his chest forward but his left further back. His balance was in pretty good shape and only a small bead of sweat from his concentration rolled down his face.

            “There you go Eren!” Armin said enthusiastically. Eren came out of his balance with a grin.

            “Sifu Erwin,” Eren asked. “Since air is my natural opposite, am I not going to be able to bend for a while?”

            “I wouldn’t say a while but maybe for the first few lessons. Air is also an element that comes in handy when you least expect it. Maybe you will unlock yours at the most untimely of moments. I remember when Mike unlocked his airbending when we were kids-“

            “Uh excuse me Sifu Erwin but what do you mean by ‘unlock’? I thought that every person born to the Air Nation was a bender,” Armin interrupted.

            “Yes everyone is born an airbender but the ability to use the ability comes at diferent ages. For instance, you said that you weren’t much of an airbender until you met Eld. I think that your ability to use airbending came to you when you were young, but having no master to train you, it grew muted in your body. For Eren, he has no need to use his airbending yet so it won’t be unlocked for a little bit. Like I was saying though, Mike’s airbending only came to him when we were younger in the air temples. I was climbing a tree to chase a lemur but the branch I was on broke. Mike was watching over me at the time and he created an air cushion to soften my landing without even realizing his actions.” Erwin smiled fondly at the memory of his past before looking at Eren. “I’m sure that once you have the right motivations, you’ll be airbending with the rest of us. Speaking of which, let’s get back to task shall we?”

-X-

            “Okay Eren, good practice. Tomorrow I want to meet you here at the same time. Dismissed,” Erwin ordered. Eren and Armin both bowed to their master and began to walk away.

            “Do you want to go back to the barracks to get a quick shower before we go to dinner?” Eren asked Armin. Armin shrugged his shoulders.

            “I don’t care but isn’t Mikasa already there waiting for us?”

            “Eh, she has friends. Besides, Levi is getting his boot on today which means he’ll be able to finally leave the infirmary and Hanji invited me to come and get him. I’m going after dinner but I don’t want to be all dirty from training,” Eren said happily.

            “Eren, about that…” Armin trailed off.

            “What?”

            “Nothing,” Armin said quickly. “I just think that Mikasa wants to talk to you about um, something.” Eren could tell off the bat that Armin was lying. One, he could feel the vibrations coming from Armin as they walked and he sensed his change of breath; two, Armin was a terrible liar. Even though Eren knew this, he decided not to call Armin out on his bullshit so he chuckled to himself and let the subject drop.

            “Okay whatever but I’m still getting that shower before dinner.”

            As Eren reached the barrack, he became excited for the next time he’d be approaching it, with Levi. He ran inside and quickly tidied up the room which had become unbearably messy in the short week he lived there. He shoved all his clothes that were strewn about into his dresser drawers and quickly made his bed. After cleaning up, he quickly stripped and jumped into the shower.  As he scrubbed himself clean, he thought back to earlier in the day when Levi had kissed him again. He felt his lips tingle and he smiled happily at the memory. Things were finally looking up for him, for the first time since Trost. Eren turned the knob on the wall to end his shower and wrapped a towel over his waist and hair as he scrambled to get back to his room. Once back in his bedroom, Eren hung up his towel and pressed his left fist to his right palm and bended the water on him off. Eren decided that he should wear something causal but comfortable so he settled on black, baggy pants and a dark green shirt with the Earth Kingdom insignia on the front in gold. As he began to dry his hair, someone banged on his door.

            “Eren hurry up! Mikasa may be with friends, but it’s rude to be this late,” Armin called through the door to him.

            “Okay! I’m just drying my hair,” Eren shouted. Armin opened the door with a blast of wind and marched up to Eren. He grabbed him by the collar and began to drag him out of the room. “Ouch! Armin, what the hell?”

            “I’m getting the impression that you forgot that _some people_ are actually hungry!”

            “Look I didn’t mean to take that long but it wasn’t that long was it?”

            “Forty-five minutes Eren! I’ve seen you take showers in under five minutes- forty extra ones weren’t needed. I swear if you were daydreaming about Levi in the shower or something,” Armin seethed. Eren blushed and kept his head down as his friend continued to drag him to the dining hall.

            The dining hall was in another large cave to the side of the main cavern. It had crystals nearly everywhere that gave of light and were used as tables. Eren spotted Mikasa sitting with their roommates with an irritated scowl on her face. As she turned her head over to look at the entrance, Eren shifted his gaze towards the food and rushed to grab a plate before he could be scolded. The dinner was served in the four nations so Eren went to the Earth Kingdom section and began to fill his plate. He loaded his plate with roast duck and bean curd puffs and snatched a cup of jasmine tea. Eren glanced at Mikasa’s table and found her eyes boring into his. He sighed to himself and quickly made his way to the table, hoping to get his inevitable lecture out of the way. As Eren slid into a chair, Armin came and sat down next to Mikasa; his eyes were just as serious and probing as Mikasa’s for once.

            “You guys have a problem or something?” Eren chuckled nervously. He looked down to eat a bean curd puff but a large drop of water splashed on his hand. Furrowing his eyebrows, he ran a hand through his hair and groaned; it was still wet. “Shit, my hair’s still wet.” Armin snapped his palm up and bended a sharp blast of wind to Eren’s head, effectively drying out his hair. “Thanks Armin.”

            “Eren,” Mikasa began. “Are you still…infatuated with Master Levi?” Eren nearly choked on his bean curd puff and widened his eyes at Mikasa. He leaned closely over the table so that the others wouldn’t hear the conversation.

            “Don’t mention that so loud! The last thing I need is rumors flying. To answer your question, yes I am,” he hissed angrily. Then he thought about her overbearing tendency and decided to soften his tone slightly. “And you probably should know that when we were in the Spirit World, um, we kissed.” It was Mikasa’s turn to nearly choke on her own food as she processed this new bit of information.

            “What the _fuck_ Eren! Why wouldn’t you tell me this sooner?” she furiously hissed. Sasha interrupted the heated conversation timidly, telling them that the group was going to go back to the barracks for a little while. After the table cleared, Mikasa and Eren leaned back and glared at each other. “Why do you love doing that to me? You always tell me important shit last.”

            “’CAUSE YOU OVERREACT!” Eren exploded. “If I told you earlier, it would be the same fucking thing!”

            “I didn’t even tell you if I approve or not yet! It’s not overreacting either; it’s simply being worried over you!” Mikasa shouted back. Armin shifted uneasily in his chair, he could tell that Eren and Mikasa’s argument was getting attention from some of the other soldiers.

            “Like you would approve, you NEVER approve,” Eren spat.

            “Actually for a change, I DO approve of this.” Eren scoffed at her words and rolled his eyes. “I’m serious Eren. All I want for you is to be safe and happy. Levi is the strongest here so he can protect you. He also happens to make you so happy and excited. Clearly he returns the feeling since you say that you’ve kissed so why should I be against this? Yeah the age difference bugs me a little bit but in this world, that doesn’t really matter. I just want you to be happy, so I approve.” Eren’s eyes were wide as he processed her words but slowly a large grin made its way onto his face.

            “We’re only asking one thing though Eren,” Armin interjected. Eren’s grin faltered slightly as he raised his eyebrows. “Don’t fuck him while we’re there. We’re probably going to end up hearing you since the barrack walls are pretty thin.” Eren blushed but laughed heartily.

            “Guys he’s not even going to hold my hand until I turn eighteen so you don’t have to worry about that.” Mikasa noticeably relaxed at this and spoke up.

            “Good. I thought I was going to have to restrain you from jumping him the moment you two got a room together,” she said casually while sipping from her drink. “Anyway, when do you leave to pick him up?” Eren glanced at a candle nearby and saw eight sparks and a flicker.

            “Oh shit! I have to go like now!” He wolfed down the rest of his food and downed his drink in a matter of minutes before pushing his tray next to Mikasa, asking her to take it up for him, and sprinting out the cave to the infirmary. Armin and Mikasa watched Eren tear out of the cave with soft smiles on their faces. They were both happy that Eren’s little infatuation had grown into an actual blossoming relationship. Armin chuckled and glanced down at Eren’s abandoned food tray.

            “He left a few bean curd puffs. You want to split one?” Armin asked as he eyed the puff.

            “Sure,” Mikasa replied and plucked one curd puff from the tray. She broke it in half and gave Armin a piece. “How about a toast? To Eren not fucking this up for once,” she said amusingly. Armin laughed and tapped his half of the curd puff against Mikasa’s before popping it into his mouth and getting up to clear their trays. Mikasa joined him in laughing before long and left with Armin to clear their trays. 

            Eren ran down the dirt paths faster than what seemed possible and tore into the infirmary. He ran to the back into Levi’s room and burst through the door. He managed to startle both Levi and Hanji with his abrupt arrival and he smiled at them as he panted and tried to regain his breath. “Hey guys! Uh, is the boot on yet?” he wheezed out.

            “Nope! I’m about to fit it on,” Hanji answered happily. Eren moved from the doorway to Levi’s bed and plopped down. He eyed Hanji’s hands wearily as she held the boot in one hand and rested her other on Levi’s shin. “Okay, this might hurt a tad bit but only at first.” She tightened her grasp on Levi’s leg and lifted it slowly into the air. As his ankle rose up, Levi hissed loudly and Eren gently placed his warm hand on top of Levi’s tensed cool one. Eren rubbed soothing, gentle circles into Levi’s hand to try and get him to relax and it seemed to be working. Hanji quickly slid the boot underneath his raised ankle and leg and lowered the leg and ankle down. Once she had secured the ankle, she covered from the shin to toes with a soft red pad and wrapped the straps around Levi’s injury.

            “Okay Levi, you should be alright to move around now. I want you to try to walk to Eren,” Hanji said happily. “Eren, move like three feet away.” Eren gave Levi an encouraging smile before standing up to follow Hanji’s orders. Levi let out a sigh and stood up. He teetered on his feet for a moment before balancing himself out. “Does it hurt?” Hanji immediately asked.

            “No. It’s just annoying that one of my legs is taller than the other,” Levi answered monotonously. He tentatively raised the booted leg and took his first step. He braced himself for pain that was sure to come but widened his eyes slightly when he realized that he felt nothing. He took another step towards Eren cautiously but once again found no pain in his healing ankle. “It’s not bad,” Levi said quietly. “I don’t feel any pain when I walk.”

            “That’ good! Okay now try walking normally to Eren,” Hanji instructed. Levi nodded and walked at his normal pace to Eren. He felt a small twinge of pain but it was easily overlooked as he glanced up at Eren’s eager face.

            “There was only a small twinge of pain but I can deal with that,” Levi spoke aloud. Hanji squealed in joy and bounced up and down repeatedly. “How long until I can firebend?”

            “The boot is fireproof thanks to pulling a few strings but I don’t want you to balance on that leg quite yet. You can firebend in… two days.” Levi nodded at Hanji’s words and asked a final question.

            “If it starts to hurt again, where are you going to be staying at in the base?”

            “I’ll be living in Erwin’s spare bedroom,” she answered with a smirk.

            “Poor Moblit. I bet he won’t be happy to hear that you’re sleeping with Erwin,” Levi deadpanned. Eren began laughing while Hanji grew red and spluttered out a response.

            “I’m not sleeping with Erwin! I’m sleeping- and doing nothing more- in the _spare_ bedroom! And Moblit has nothing to do with that!” Hanji shrieked. Levi smirked while Eren was still laughing hard at Hanji. “You know what? Get out! Leave my infirmary!” Hanji shouted while gently pushing them out the room, down the hall, and giving them one more firm shove to send them out the front door. She smiled at the two and promptly slammed the door shut.

            Eren finally stopped laughing hard enough to speak a few words so he turned to Levi with a large grin. “Ready to meet the new roommates?”

            “No,” Levi answered easily. They began to walk in the direction of the barrack with a respectable distance between them, but Levi could still feel the heat radiating off Eren.

            “Oh come on, you haven’t even seen them yet. If there’s anyone you may not like, it’s going to be Jean.”

            “What’s wrong with Jean?” Levi thought he had asked a question that would be answered simply but he was oh so wrong.

            “What’s wrong with Jean? Hmmm, let me see. I could go on forever about his fucking face but let’s just say he looks like a fucking horse. The first goddamn time I met him, it was when I was looking for you, he decided to sass me and tried to fight me. The nerve of that bastard! I’m the fucking Avatar; you don’t mess with me unless you want to get hurt. Anyway his boyfriend Marco, my spiritual guru teacher who could really go for someone much better, separated us and apologized for the bastard’s ignorance but like still. Honestly, the nerve of that guy. He gets on my nerves and makes me want to punch someone every time I see his stupid face,” Eren ranted. Levi quickly made a note never to ask about Jean unless it was absolutely necessary, for his own sanity; he wasn’t sure that he’d be able to endure Eren’s ranting. As Eren paused his ranting he noticed that they were already in the barrack section. He glanced at Levi from the corner of his eye. The shorter man was glancing about, probably looking for landmarks to help him remember where the barrack was.

            “How’s your leg?” Eren asked. Levi glanced up at him for a moment and looked straight ahead as he replied.

            “It’s fine Kid. If it starts bothering me, I’ll tell you.”

            “Whatever you say, Heichou. Here we are, the104th Barrack.” Eren strode up to the door and knocked three times loud and hard. The door was opened by Armin and a smile as his friend greeted Eren.

            “Hey Eren! Is Master Levi with you now?”

            “I am indeed,” Levi said. He stepped forward so he was out of Eren’s shadow. Armin quickly bowed down in respect and Levi sighed. “You don’t have to do that and don’t call me ‘Master’. I’m your squad leader, not your master.” Armin stood up awkwardly, his face red with embarrassment.

            “Do you have any formalities you want us to use then?”

            “If you feel the need to, just call me Captain Levi. Now ae you going to let us in?” Armin nodded and stepped to the side, letting Levi in, while flashing a grin to Eren. Levi walked in to see his squad and a few others he didn’t recognize lined up in front of him. As Eren came into the room and Armin shut the door, Mikasa stepped forward.

            “Welcome back Captain Levi. We are happy to once again be at your service,” Mikasa said loud and proud. She saluted and smiled while the rest of Squad Levi and the others did the same. Levi glanced at Armin and Eren to find them also doing the same. Levi cracked a smirk and saluted them all back.

            “It’s good to be back, brats. I want to start training again as a group as soon as possible. There’s some things that need to be fixed from the last battle we had. You can stop saluting now.” There was a few giggles before everyone stopped saluting and Mikasa stepped back. Levi swept his eyes down to the new people he didn’t know. “Who are you?” he asked bluntly. The smallest blonde girl stepped forward.

            “My name is Krista! I am a waterbender capable at healing and I am part of Squad Dita. It’s an honor to meet you Squad Leader Levi.” She bowed quickly and stepped back after seeing Levi nod. The next to step forward was a girl with dark hair, an expressionless face that reminded Levi of Annie, and freckles.

            “I’m Ymir and a pretty decent earthbender. I am also a part of Squad Dita. Like Krista said, it’s nice to meet you; I’ve heard a lot a things about you.” Ymir smirked and bowed quickly before backing up to Krista. Levi raised an eyebrow but simply sighed before the next boy who looked vaguely familiar stepped forward.

            “I’m Thomas. I’m a firebender and part of Squad Dita. It’s nice to officially meet you.” Thomas bowed like the others and began to back up when Levi spoke up.

            “Haven’t I seen you before? You were there at the town when the Titans attacked right?” A pained expression overtook Thomas’ face and his voice sounded strained.

            “Y-yes. My team was wiped out after I ran to warn you and the others. I had transported civilians out of the area and on the way to Ba Sing Se after that. I was assigned to Squad Dita after I told Squad Leader Shadis what happened.” Levi strode forward and flicked Thomas’ forehead, which was bent from shame and from still bowing to Levi.

            “None of that,” Levi ordered. Thomas looked up with eyes wide and slightly watery. “You did the right thing; fighting aimlessly in revenge isn’t good. Self-preservation isn’t a bad thing either as long as you don’t abandon others to do it. You make me proud and I thank you for your service.” The room went silent on awe as everyone watched Levi bow to Thomas before straightening up and walking down to the final two. Levi looked up at a boy with an awful undercut with two-toned hair and a slightly taller boy with freckles dressed in typical Air Temple style clothing. “I take it that you are Jean,” he said looking at the boy with two-toned hair, “and you are Marco, correct?” The boy in the freckles nodded and stretched out his hand.

            “I am the Avatar’s spiritual teacher, Marco Bodt from the Southern Air Temple. I have heard many stories about you from other airbenders who had explored the world when I was younger. It’s an honor to meet Humanity’s Strongest.” Levi chuckled at his title and accepted Marco’s outstretched hand. “This is my partner, Jean,” Marco said while dragging Jean forward. Levi looked Jean up and down before letting out a snort.

            “Eren was right; your face does look like a horse’s.” The room was silent for another moment before everyone erupted into laughter. Even Marco was laughing into his hand while Jean let his mouth hang open in shock and anger.

“Okay everyone, first things first,” Levi began and the noise instantly quieted. “First of all, I’m in charge of this barrack and will be in charge of guarding the Avatar at night. I am a superb firebender as I’m sure you’ve all heard. Don’t test me on this because the chances are high that you will be burned.” Eren groaned aloud at Levi’s pun but Levi pressed on. “My squad will address me as Captain, Squad Dita may address me as Sir or Squad Leader Levi, and I don’t care what Jean or Marco calls me. Oi brat,” Levi said getting Eren’s attention, “none of that stupid ‘Heichou’ shit or I will castrate you in your sleep.” Squad Dita widened their eyes at Levi’s language but Eren merely laughed off Levi’s threat.

            “Yes sir, Heichou,” Eren said with a smirk. He was pretty sure that if looks could kill, he’d be dead in the most painful of ways imaginable by the sheer intensity of Levi’s glare. He swallowed nervously but didn’t look away, which was annoying Levi immensely.

            “Secondly, the barrack is filthy. I do not tolerate any form of dirt inside, therefore I want this place cleaned tomorrow. Do not go anywhere until it is clean- and clean to _my_ standards. My squad knows what I mean if you five are confused.”

            “Wait, five?” Jean asked.

            “Yes. You, Marco, Krista, Ymir, and Thomas are all going to help clean this shithole up. Guest or no guest, you live here which means you have to help clean it up. The only one exempt from this is Eren because he has Avatar training that is important to accomplish. Marco if you are helping Eren tomorrow with training then you, and only you, are also exempt.”

            “What about breakfast, Captain?” Armin asked softly.

            “You better hope this place is clean by then if you want to go eat. Okay that’s all; I’m going to bed.” Levi waked forward with a slight limp toward Eren. “I’m going to need you to show me how Hanji put this thing on. I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to sleep with it on or take it in the shower.” Eren nodded and began to lead Levi to their shared room. Levi was walking back feeling moderately happy until he heard the horse whisper something under his breath.

            “ _Fucking shrimp. Who the hell does he think he is?”_

            “Oi Horse-Face. Before you start spewing more shit, you should know that I have sensitive hearing. Basically, I hear like a fucking bat, so shut the fuck up. And since you asked, I’m Levi fucking Ackerman, Humanity’s Strongest, and I will not hesitate to kick your ass out of here if you continue to disrespect me like that.” The tension that filled the room was thick enough to be cut with a knife as Levi leveled a glare at Jean. He then turned sharply on his boot and walked out to follow Eren down the hall. Levi heard the front door slam as he turned into his own room with Eren and he smirked.

            As soon as Levi closed the door, Eren turned around and grabbed Levi’s shoulders. He bent his head down and captured Levi’s lips in his own passionately. They broke apart shortly and Levi raised an eyebrow. “I thought I said earlier no kissing and no relationship-like stuff?”

            “Actually you said no public shows of affection until I’m eighteen and we tell Erwin. That wasn’t public,” Eren replied cheekily.

            “Okay well I’m changing it again. If you keep kissing me like that I swear I’m going to jump you one of these days and that’s exactly what I said I wasn’t going to do. Why did you kiss me anyway?”

            “I kissed you because you sounded so fucking hot when you showed that horse faced fucker who’s in charge,” Eren drawled as he turned to Levi. “Do you mind if we share a bed?”

            “Yes; sleep in your own.” Eren pouted at Levi’s answer but Levi strolled to his bed and inspected it for dirt. “You did a good job cleaning but you misplaced a pillow.” Eren continued to sulk as he walked closer to Levi’s bed to see what pillow he had misplaced.

            “I didn’t mis-“Eren was interrupted by a face full of pillow as Levi wacked his face hard. “OW! What the fuck?”

            “I wiped that stupid pout off your face. The answer’s going to be no until March 30th so don’t even try. Now get some sleep Kid.” Levi shrugged his shirt off and they both prepared to get into bed when he remembered his boot. “Dammit, will you get this thing off?” Eren got up and bent down to undo the boot. Once he had taken off the straps and slid off the red protective pad, he lifted Levi’s ankle carefully and laid him in bed.

            “Good night Heichou.” He paused for a second and rephrased what he had said. “Good night Levi.”

            “Good night Eren,” Levi instantly replied and turned over in his bed slightly. Within minutes, he was fast asleep and snoring lightly. Eren smiled over Levi and moved to blow out the candle lighting the room. He climbed into his own bed that felt too large and drifted off into a dreamless sleep, his most peaceful one in over a month.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 33 Saturday!
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos and hits! Leave a comment here or on tumblr at 'chibinico' and tell me what you think so far! I love that feedback!


	33. Tea Time: The Earth King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> October 31 is upon them and Eren meets the Earth King but not everything goes to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this chapter!! And I've been trying to re-manage my time to fit in writing so I won't have to go on a mini-hiatus.  
> Enjoy the chapter!!

            Eren was waken roughly by gentle hands. “Get the fuck up! Don’t you know what day or time it is?” Eren let out a loud groan and swatted away at Levi’s probing hands.

            “Why don’t _you_ get the fuck out?” Eren drawled tiredly from underneath his covers. “I’m gonna sleep, so.”

            “Ugh, we don’t have time for this shit.” Levi ceased shaking Eren and proceeded to yanking off his covers in one strong pull. Eren shivered at the sudden cold and curled into a tight ball. “Oh my fucking… Eren I swear if you don’t get out of bed right now, I will burn your bed and make you sleep on a cot for weeks.”

            “Yeah right. That’s beyond cruel,” Eren said without opening his eyes.

            “Try me.” Levi extended a hand and lit his palm aflame. He lifted up on of Eren’s blankets and held it directly above the highest flames, just enough to make Eren smell smoke.

            Eren snapped his eyes open as he inhaled the faint tingles of smoke and turned to glare at Levi. “What the fuck are you doing? I’m up okay!” He angrily got out of bed and yanked his blanket out of Levi’s grasp. “Why is today so important anyway? I’m doing the same schedule: eat, train, train, eat, bed.”

            “No you’re not. Today’s the 31th. You have to go meet with the Earth King,” Levi said as he bustled around the room, tidying up.

            “Oh shit I forgot! What time?” Eren asked as he stretched his stiff limbs.

            “In an hour! Get in the damn showers already,” Levi said in an exasperated tone. “I told you this morning! You even said that you heard me and was going to be ready in a minute.”

            “Sorry! It was my subconscious!” Eren shouted as he ran out the door of their room to get into the showers. Eren cursed and ran into an empty shower stall. He ripped off his shirt and pants and quickly began scrubbing himself clean. “Dammit, I’m going to be late!” he muttered angrily to himself. In less than five minutes, Eren dashed out of the shower and back into the room. He found that Levi had laid out nice, traditional, Earth Kingdom robes and Eren wasted no time putting them on. He made a mental note to thank his soon-to-be-boyfriend while sliding on the dark green pants. His shirt was long and airy and colored a light green with gold embellishments. The sleeves fell to just over his wrists and the hem just over his hips. Finally, he put on his last garment; his jade green vest. He let it hang on him and dashed to the mirror. His hair was still a wet mess but he could always have Erwin dry it for him. Eren slid into his most comfortable green flats and ran out the door to the main room of the barracks where Levi was sitting down, waiting for him.

            “Good, you managed to dress yourself. Wait no, your hair is still messed up and dripping,” Levi said.

            “I’m just going to have Erwin dry it on the way. We need to go anyway,” Eren huffed as he walked with a purpose towards Levi. Levi was wearing traditional firebending robes similar to his except for the colors but he still wore his boot. Eren couldn’t help letting out a chuckle at seeing that the boot was decorated with swirls of different reds and oranges.

            “Hanji did it this morning,” Levi said as he saw Eren chuckle at his boot. He glanced at his watch and stood from his chair. “Why don’t you just dry your hair yourself, you’re an airbender now right?” Eren’s happy grin dropped at Levi’s words and he scowled to himself.

            “Erwin has been teaching me techniques and all, but I haven’t unlocked my abilities yet. I guess the right time hasn’t come yet,” Eren said gloomily. Levi glanced around the empty room, making sure no one would see what he was about to do. He walked over to Eren and grasped at his hand, making the younger flinch slightly.

            “Don’t worry about it,” Levi said gently. “I know you’ll be able to do it.” He tugged on Eren’s hand, pulling him down and placed a peck on his flustered cheek. “You are a stubborn shit after all.” Eren laughed and pulled away.

            “Levi, we have to go!” Eren practically shouted after he got a glimpse of the time. He grabbed Levi’s hand and ran out the door. Once outside, he released Levi’s hand but still ran to the gate lifts that would take him out of the cavern. They made it in record time and only panting slightly as Erwin turned to greet them.

            “Good morning Avatar Eren and Captain Levi. We’ve been waiting for you,” Erwin greeted.

            “We would’ve been on time if the brat didn’t sleep in after telling me he was getting ready,” Levi huffed, mildly annoyed. Erwin laughed and raised a hand. He blew a current of air towards Eren’s head and dried his hair. Eren widened his eyes in surprise and grinned sheepishly when he realized what Erwin did.

            “Thanks. So are we ready to depart?”

            “You only invited Levi, Mikasa, and Armin right? Mikasa and Armin are both already above us so we should go up now ourselves,” Erwin declared. Levi and Eren nodded and stepped onto the gate lift with Erwin and two earthbenders. They soon were being raised up the wall. Eren glanced up and saw a light, blue sky growing bigger and bigger as they rapidly approached the surface.

            “I haven’t seen the sky since that seaside town,” Eren said aloud to Levi. Levi only hummed in agreement and closed his eyes.

            “Close your eyes so that it’s easier for them to adjust,” Levi ordered. “Trust me, you’ll be in for a headache if you don’t.” Eren glanced at Erwin to see that he was doing the same before he shut his own eyes. They steadily continued to climb higher and higher before Eren felt the lift slowing.

            “Okay, open your eyes slowly and get off,” a gruff voice instructed. Eren opened his eyes slowly and blinked multiple times to get rid of the blinding bright light.

            “Oh my god! This place is huge!” Eren exclaimed. He widened his eyes and glanced about everywhere. There were large houses and bridges at nearly every corner. People dressed in their finest silks walked the streets slowly while chattering to each other. “Where is the King going to be?”

            “He has his own palace near the center of the city. That’s where we are going,” Erwin declared. “Mikasa and Armin should already be in the coach that will take us there. In fact it’s right here.” Erwin chuckled to himself before walking to the large green and yellow coach. He let Eren and Levi climb in first before following behind them. Once the coach began moving, Eren started talking.

            “This is nothing like Shiganshina, right guys? It’s so crazy and to think it’s just because we’re in the Survey Corps,” Eren said excitedly.

            “This isn’t the whole capital Eren. This is just the Upper Ring, where the most wealthy and important citizens live,” Armin stated matter-of-factly.

            “I wonder where Dad is,” Mikasa said quietly.

            “Who the hell even cares? We’ve been fine without him,” Eren nearly shouted.

            “Sorry for asking,” Mikasa said even quieter. She brought her hand up to her head and closed her eyes. Her small action caused Eren to settle quickly.

            “What’s wrong Mika? You don’t seem so good.” Mikasa glared at Eren for using that nickname she despised but it was short lived.

            “I just don’t feel too hot today. Even my flames are affected; they’re orange not blue.” She coughed into her elbow and brought her knees up to her head to curl up. Eren got up from his seat across from Mikasa and sat down next to her.

            “You can lay down on me if you want,” he offered.

            “No, I don’t want to get you sick-“She was interrupted by another small coughing fit. Eren gently grasped her shoulders and eased her down onto his lap.

            “Just rest. When we get there, if you’re still not feeling it I’ll ask for the palace doctor, okay?”

            “M’kay, thanks Eren,” Mikasa said as she raised her tattered red scarf over her mouth and nose and closed her eyes. In a few seconds, she was out and snoring softly.

            “Uh, I can do that right? Ask for the palace doctor?” Eren asked Erwin.

            Erwin chuckled and nodded his head. “Do you think what she has is serious?”

            “Probably,” Eren replied. “Mikasa doesn’t usually make a fuss if it’s just a cold but if even her flames are weaker, something is probably going on. Also, she’s burning up,” Eren said as he felt her forehead. He ruffled her hair slightly and rubbed her shoulder gently. “She’s going to be alright,” he said softly, more to himself as a confirmation than to the others.

            “Eren, look!” Armin said excitedly. He looked out the window and his mouth hung open in awe. They arrived at the palace. People were lined at the steps, trying to get a glimpse of the newest Avatar. The building itself was absolutely enormous. At the top of the steps were two large golden statues of bagermoles, the mark of the royal crest.

            “We should get out of the coach shouldn’t we?” Eren asked Erwin.

            “What about your sister? Who’s going to carry her in?” Levi interjected.

            “I’ll do it. She’s heavy but I have muscle too,” Eren said with a smirk. He gently shook Mikasa’s shoulder and she blearily opened one eye.

            “Are we here?” She croaked out. Eren nodded.

            “I’m going to carry you in so just wrap your arms around my neck.” Mikasa didn’t even try to protest and she lifted her arms to behind Eren’s neck. She closed her eyes again and didn’t speak. “Okay then, let’s go.” Eren stood up and hefted Mikasa up, carrying her bridal style.

            “Oi, Eren,” Levi began. “Let Erwin and Armin go first. The crowd wants you so they will do whatever to get to you. Keep that in mind for the future.” Eren nodded and stepped back, allowing Erwin to exit first. Once the door was opened, the large gathering of people became cheering loudly. When Erwin stepped out however, the crowd’s cheers were dulled in confusion. Armin went out next dutifully and was also met with the confused cheers. Eren waited for a few moments to collect himself before Levi gave him a small push. He hesitantly took a step forward and walked slowly to the door. He adjusted Mikasa once more before stepping outside into the blinding light. The roar of the cheering crowds made Eren tense up and look in awe as he saw hundreds of smiling faces. He carefully began waking up the steps, careful to sense the crowds movements if he needed to defend himself in any way. As he relaxed, he smiled at the people and even made a few women faint from their hysteria.

            “Hurry the fuck up Eren. This isn’t some fashion show,” Levi grumbled behind him. Eren laughed but heeded Levi’s advice and quickened his pace. Mikasa stirred slightly in his arms but soon fell back against his chest, sound asleep. As Eren reached the top step, he noticed that Erwin and Armin were both bowed to a man dressed in green robes even finer than Eren’s. He realized that be must be the King and he immediately bent down. The King only chuckled and spoke with a booming voice.

            “Oh my boy! You don’t have to bow to me; we are equals! What an incredible day that the Avatar and the great Earth King meet! Come now Avatar, let us become great allies.” The King extended his hand and Eren quickly turned to Levi and gave Mikasa for him to hold. He quickly wiped his hand on the hem of his vest and grasped the King’s firmly. A picture was snapped and those around them began to clap.

            “It’s an honor, Your Majesty,” Eren said modestly. The King turned and walked into the palace, beckoning for Eren and his guests to follow. Levi swiftly handed Mikasa back over and began to follow the King. The walk into the palace was like walking into a fairy tale. There were tall arching ceilings and tall pillars, cloaked in greens and golds. Eren passed a set of truly enormous doors which he figured led into the King’s throne room. As they passed other rooms, Mikasa shivered and coughed into her scarf. Eren almost completely forgot she was sick from looking in awe at the palace.

            “Uh, You Majesty?” The King stopped walking and turned to face Eren with a light smile. “My sister has fallen ill on the way here. Is there a doctor she can see while we talk?” The King nodded and summoned a servant to fetch the doctor.

            “We can leave her in the infirmary; it’s a few doors down from my tea room. I’ll have my best doctor working on her and I’ll have him give us an update after we are done, okay?” Eren nodded and smiled in gratitude. They continued to walk down the long, magnificent hallways until they reached five doors away from a set of large yellow doors. The King pushed open the small door and ushered Eren in. “This is the infirmary so you can leave her on a bed here. The servant will be back shortly so you have no need to worry.” Eren nodded again and walked over to a bed. He laid Mikasa down and tucked her underneath the warm blankets even though her skin was feverish.

            “I’ll be back soon alright? Feel better Mika,” Eren whispered as he gave her a kiss on the forehead. Mikasa smiled faintly in her sleep and turned over into her blankets but not before saying something Eren caught.

            “Go to that fucking meeting already, dumbass.” Eren stood up and laughed as he headed for the doors. A servant came into the room while he was leaving and he glanced once more at Mikasa before the door swung shut.

            “That’s a rare side of you to show,” Levi whispered to Eren while Erwin and the King struck up a conversation. “Usually you’re so hot headed and overall annoying but that was…cute.” Eren’s face flushed at Levi’s words and he gave him a shaky grin.

            “S-she wasn’t feeling well,” he weakly defended. Levi chuckled and looked ahead at the large golden doors. The King pushed them open and everyone with the exception of Erwin and the King, gasped. The room was decorated simply but elegantly. There was a small throne to the back of the room and a small table on the floor with five cushions for each of them to sit on, next to it.

            “Come in! Now there’s an extra cushion but don’t pay it any attention. I’m sure when the girl feels better, she’ll want to come back. What type of tea would you all like?” the King asked kindly.

            “I’ll take Ginseng and the rest will have Jasmine,” Levi replied. The King strode over to a door connected to an adjoining room and asked for a person named Historia. A small girl who reminded Eren very much of Krista walked into the room carrying a pot of boiling water and a bag of tea leaves. Eren and the others sat down while Historia made the tea and struck up a light conversation with the King until she departed. The moment the door closed, the King took on a different nature.

            “Please tell me you have an idea of how to beat these merciless spirits,” The King begged Eren. His shoulders slumped and he slouched in his throne. “I can’t keep sending my soldiers away like this. The more troops I send to defend our outer wall, the less we have to the other sections of the city. I’m not a corrupt man you see but if it’s for the better of the city- of the Earth Kingdom- I may have to withdraw forces soon.” The King pinched the bridge of his nose and looked to Eren, hope filling his eyes.

            Eren took a deep breath and began to fill in the King of everything that had happened to him up to this point. “I think,” He concluded. “I think that I could defeat the Titans by the end of this upcoming summer. I know it’s a stretch to learn two new elements in this time but I’m very willing to push myself to my breaking point if it means bettering the lives of humanity.” The King’s eyes were wide as he gawked at the Avatar.

            “We do have squadrons across the world,” Erwin cut in. “If you need them, I will order some of the fire nation squads to come and help defend the Outer Wall. The Survey Corps will help protect Ba Sing Se.” The King nodded and smiled in relief.

            “If I may Your Majesty,” Armin hesitantly spoke. “Why don’t you mix the walls? I’ve read countless books about the city and most say that the Upper Ring isn’t that populated. We could move the Middle Ring citizens to the Upper Ring and start to move Lower Ring citizens the Middle Ring. We could save civilian lives if the Titans were to break through the Outer Walls.”

            “That is a good plan young airbender but I don’t have the authority. The Dai Li is in charge of the cultural aspects of Ba Sing Se and I have no say in any cultural matters. Any citizen of the Earth Kingdom can propose a law to the Dai Li and they must listen to the citizen but whether acting upon it is their choice,” the King said sadly. Eren was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. “Who is it?” the King demanded.

            “The palace doctor,” a deep voice replied. “May I come in?” The voice sounded familiar to Eren but it couldn’t be _him._ Eren knit his eyebrows and glared at the door.

            “Yes.” The door opened to reveal a tall man with long brown hair the same shade of Eren’s. He wore small circular glasses and tied his hair off in a lose ponytail. The man’s eyes fell on Eren and he stared longingly at his son who was glaring daggers and clenching his fists.

            “Eren,” Grisha Jaeger said. He began to speak but Eren shot up and threw a punch at his father from across the room. A strong gust of wind ripped through the air at his action and hit his father squarely on the chest, making him fly back.

            “Dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 34 tomorrow!  
> Thanks for all the hits/kudos/comments! If you liked this chapter, leave a comment and let me know! I do love that feedback:)


	34. Tea Time: Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren confronts Grisha and learns things he didn't want to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the angst but yea...  
> Enjoy :)

“Eren! That’s the palace doctor; you can’t hurt him,” Armin cried out.

            “Like hell he is! That’s my _father_! The guy who abandoned his family without a second care! He left us for _this_!” Eren shouted back. He aimed to hit Grisha with another blast of air but was quickly over taken by Levi. He felt his arm twist back and soon he was on the ground with Levi holding his arm tightly to his back.

            “Oi! Settle down Eren. You’re still in the presence of the Earth King. You can take out any anger you have towards the son of bitch after we’re done with the meeting,” Levi said calmly into his ear. Eren’s struggles slowly calmed but he still saw red. As Eren calmed down, Erwin had rushed to Grisha’s side to see if he was injured.

            “Are you alright Mr. Jaeger?” Grisha wrapped an arm around his side and sat up slowly.

            “I’m fine. I was expecting something of the sort when we would meet again. Perhaps I should come back later; I was only giving news about Mikasa.” At this, Eren lifted his head up. “She has a stubborn flu but should recover in a matter of days. If you put her in a healing pond, it’ll heal slightly faster and help lower her fever.” Grisha stood up and backed out of the room, closing the door as he left. Eren let out a breath he hadn’t realized that he was holding in and relaxed himself completely.

            “You can get off me Levi. I’m calm,” Eren said. Levi knit his brows but took him for his word and climbed off of Eren.

            “I’m terribly sorry but it seems I’m missing a very important part of information,” the Earth King said. Eren sat back down on his cushion, following Erwin and Levi. Armin placed a calming hand on Eren’s shoulder and gave him a questioning stare.

            “You aren’t missing much Your Majesty,” Eren said. “Your palace doctor is my father who left me, my sister, and my mother a little over a year and a half ago with no word of warning whatsoever. He said he was going on a business trip to Ba Sing Se and that he’d be back soon. Obviously he had other plans,” Eren stated bluntly. “I sincerely apologize for taking such a drastic act of violence in your presence though. Please don’t look any less on me or the Survey Corps.” Eren bowed down low from his floor cushion and his hair brushed the floor.

            “I accept your apology and I will see to it that he is escorted out of my palace at once,” the King said with assurance. Eren wanted to smile at the King’s words but he felt something stir inside his gut. It had been a while since this particular feeling reared its ugly head but Eren knew if he didn’t confront it, it would only grow larger. He swallowed his pride and began to clear his conscience of the upcoming guilt.

            “That isn’t necessary, Your Majesty. I haven’t spoken to him yet to determine his reasons for leaving and I’m sure he’s done a lot of good here rather than back in Shiganshina” Eren clutched his tea spoon tightly and forced himself to drink some of his chilled beverage to cool down himself. “I say we get back to the matter at hand though. You said that any citizen of the Earth Kingdom could propose an idea to the Dai Li correct?”

            The King eyed Eren wearily; he could tell that Eren was just pushing to change the subject and forget about what had just happened moments ago. The King sighed and answered Eren’s question. “Yes any citizen can but it’s up to the Dai Li to act upon your idea. Most times they don’t but I can’t say I blame them. Once a cabbage merchant came up to during a city meeting and proposed that all cabbage merchants be reimbursed for any cabbage they lost on their journey into the city. Needless to say, it didn’t go through and the Dai Li became more detailed in what laws were passed and they demanded more specifics from the people anytime they wished to offer an idea. There needs to be a change but at the moment, we are in no condition to have civil war.”

            “If that’s the case then, isn’t the Earth Kingdom actually more like a limited democracy rather than a monarchy? What is the purpose of the King?” Armin interjected.

            “The Earth Kingdom is an interesting type of monarchy. I can’t really label it myself but I do hold some cards of power. I have control over the military and what occurs in the lands outside of Ba Sing Se. There, my word is law; here, my words are law to the civilians but recommendations to the Dai Li.” As the King’s words settled over Eren, a new idea came to mind.

            “Can I help? I’m an Earth Kingdom citizen but I’m also the Avatar so I may have some power that others don’t. I could go to one of these meetings and-“Eren was cut off by Erwin shaking his head.

            “I don’t think that’s such a good idea Eren. You still need to master air and fire. Air should be easier now that you’ve unlocked your abilities but it’ll take time to master two new elements and the Avatar State with Guru Marco. You won’t have time in your schedule and by using your power in such a way. And it could cause an upset in the people if your idea is listened to because of your status while theirs were not.” Eren grit his teeth but nodded his head.

            “You’re right. After all, that is the reason we all gathered today, we have to figure out a way to defeat the Titans. We have our timeline in order so our objective is clear; I just need to do my job,” Eren said confidently. At that moment, there was another knock at the door but the voice thankfully did not belong to Grisha.

            “Permission to enter, Your Majesty?” the bold, hard voice asked.

            “Granted,” the King said with a slight smile. The door opened to reveal an averagely tall man with deep creases and smile lines decorated over his bald head. In one hand, held a scroll and in the other an open flask. “General Pyxis, is my assistance required?” The general nodded his head and the King stood up from his throne. Eren and his guests also stood and bowed to the King. “You must forgive me for my leaving but I’m afraid this concludes our meeting. You are welcome anytime back and your sister is three doors down. Just ask any servant you may see to escort you out, I had a carriage readied in the back in case the crowds were still up front. Until next time Avatar Eren.” The King strode forward to grasp Eren’s hand in a firm handshake before following Pyxis out of the room. Once the door closed, Eren slumped down in his seat.

            “Why the fuck is that bastard here?” Eren asked quietly to himself. “You know what? Fuck him. I’m going to see Mikasa and take her home,” he said while standing up. No one tried to follow him as he left the room, knowing full well he needed to release some steam. He walked to the infirmary and pushed the door open. Mikasa was curled up asleep on the same bed he’d left her on but her features where much more relaxed. Behind her stood the doctor he once loved to call ‘dad’ scribbling some notes down. He looked up as he heard the door close and his eyes grew somber.

            “Eren. I’m so sorry but please let me explain,” his father begged.

            “Why should I? How could you- what reason could you possibly have to justify what you did?” Eren asked tiredly. It felt as if all at once his anger disappeared regardless of how angry he was only a moment before.

            “Didn’t your mother tell you anything? I tried reaching her the other day but nothing.”

            “That’s because she’s dead. If you didn’t know, Shiganshina was attacked by Titans on May 10. She died that day after making sure Mikasa, Armin, and me were safe,” Eren said quietly. He would’ve said more but the tears falling from his father’s eyes made him pause. He had never seen his dad cry before.

            “No, not Carla. Why?” he sobbed. Grisha took deep shuddering breaths trying to calm down while leaning on a table near him. “I never even knew because I thought that you’d be safe. _She_ told me but I never imagined this.”

            “What the hell are you mumbling about? What do you mean by ‘didn’t she tell you anything’? Answer me!” Eren shouted at his father’s hunched form.

            “Okay, I’ll tell you. You may want to sit down though-“

            “I’m fine standing thanks,” Eren said bitterly.

            “Suit yourself; I won’t force you. About two years ago, I had a vision about you. There was a spirit of a young woman; she said her name was Ilse.” Eren stiffened at the name and he glared even more intensely at his father.

“Are you absolutely sure her name was Ilse?”

 “Yes. She told me that you were the next Avatar but that you wouldn’t be able to handle the role of the Avatar without first feeling hardships. She told me that you had admired my work and how I went about helping people all over the Earth Kingdom. Then she told me that in order for you to turn into the man you are now, I had to leave.” Eren’s eyes widened at the last piece of information. Suddenly, he remembered Levi’s words of caution after they left the spirit world: _Be careful who you trust; spirits can be controlled by Titans._ He was definitely going to have to tell someone about this but not being able to trust your own past life? Eren could tell that he was going to be treading dangerous waters soon.

            “I didn’t want to so I said no to her and the vision dissipated. I didn’t receive any more visions from this Ilse woman until six months later. I was on a trip without you or Mikasa and she appeared to me again, this time as a projection. I couldn’t believe it but she showed me glimpses of the possible futures surrounding you. I remember I saw you become a doctor like me in one and in the other you were battling Titans and winning. I knew that I had to look past my own feelings of love to my family for the sake of humanity.

            “When I returned home the next day, when you and Mikasa went to Armin’s home, I told Carla about my visions. I told her that you were the Avatar and the reason that I was going to have to leave her and you guys. At the time I told her to pretend she never knew about your true identity or know why I left or even that I had left. I guessed she would’ve told you eventually that I had left for a reason but if she died, she may not have had the chance. I’m so sorry Eren; I betrayed you and my family. I understand if you don’t accept my apologies or if you don’t want to see me again but just remember that I’ve always loved you from the bottom of my heart and you’ve made me so proud.”

Grisha looked down and the room was silent except for the sounds of their breathing. Eren’s mouth was agape and his eyes wide as he processed this information. He turned so that he wasn’t facing Grisha and let his mind wander. His mother had known and never told him. In his gut, he understood why his parents kept everything from him but he still felt the sting of betrayal. Everyone had betrayed him. His mother, his father, even his own past life. The sting of betrayal gave way to a burning feeling of anger. Eren was annoyed at everything; just when he thought there was an adult figure in his life who didn’t betray him, he found out that he was wrong. Before he got too lost in his emotions, Eren schooled his face to one of impassiveness and turned to face his dad. His father looked at Eren with hope shining in his eyes.

“I acknowledge your apology but I don’t forgive you for what you did,” Eren said finally. He only stared at his father for a moment but he saw the look of devastation and overwhelming grief wash over him. He walked over to Mikasa and lifted her up from the bed. She opened her eyes and looked around at her environment but soon closed her eyes once again in favor of sleep. “Don’t try to contact me…Grisha.” Eren didn’t want to call him ‘dad’ anymore but he still didn’t like the way his father’s name rolled off his tongue. He desperately wanted to apologize and forgive his father but he couldn’t. So instead, he walked out the door and tried not to hear his father’s- Grisha’s sobs before it closed behind him.

Mikasa stirred again as warm drops of salty water hit her face. “Eren what’s wrong?” she asked groggily.

“Nothing,” Eren said but his voice betrayed him. “J-just go back to sleep. We’ll be home soon.”

-X-

            Levi knew something was wrong the minute Eren returned with Mikasa. His eyes were a little red and his voice sounded brittle. Once Eren came to Erwin’s sights, the blonde girl who had given them tea, Historia, escorted them to the carriage the King had waiting for them out back. They began to travel back in silence until Armin spoke up.

            “Uh, Eren? Are you alright?” he asked hesitantly.

            “I don’t want to talk about it,” Eren replied in a tight, clipped voice. “Sifu Erwin, is it alright to train as soon as we get back?”

            Erwin also noticed Eren’s mood but decided that if Eren was going to spill, it had to be natural. “Yes that’s a good idea. I’m anxious to start you with intermediate techniques now that you can airbend. It probably will not be for that long since the sun will be going down in a couple hours. Have you spoken to Marco about your time training spiritually with him?”

            Eren’s features relaxed slightly but noticeably as his focus was no longer on Grisha. “Yeah. He wants me to master all the elements first because it’ll be easier to learn how to control the Avatar State while using all four elements all at once rather than with three. At this rate, I’ll be able to master both air and fire by my birthday I think. That would be March 30th.” Erwin nodded while in thought.

            “I guess that’s not so far away considering that November starts tomorrow,” Erwin said as he rubbed his chin with his right hand.

            “You would think December starts tomorrow with all this fucking snow,” Levi grumbled. Eren laughed lightly at Levi’s annoyance and instantly the mood inside the carriage lifted.

            “I’ll take Mikasa to Hanji for you Eren while you train,” Armin volunteered.

            “As if you could carry her,” Eren snorted. His petite blond friend glared at Eren with intense blue eyes before huffing and looking the carriage window.

            “I was trying to be nice but you can take her then,” Armin answered with pursed lips. The carriage lurched to a stop and its passengers all unloaded. They were each checked before being allowed entrance to the underground headquarters. On the lifts, they each closed their eyes so that the adjustment didn’t cause a headache later on but when Eren closed his eyes, he only saw Grisha’s face in anguish.

            When they reached the bottom of the lifts, Eren and Armin went to the infirmary with Mikasa while Erwin and Levi went to the airbending fields. Taking his opportunity, Erwin broke the comfortable silence and confronted Levi.

            “So Levi, you were right about December coming around the corner. You also remember what happens in December right? Something like the 25th setting off any bells?” Levi instantly stiffened and glared at Erwin.

            “Don’t you fucking dare Erwin. The last thing I need is a huge party for a date that means nothing to me.”

            “Oh Levi I didn’t know you were a Grinch,” Erwin laughed light heartedly.

            “You know very well what I’m talking about!” Levi hissed to the taller man.

            “If it irritates you that much, I won’t throw a party for your birthday.”

            “Shut up! You know why I don’t like to talk about that day.”  Levi glared at the fields spread out in front of him and suddenly, the air felt ten degrees colder. They walked in silence for a few more moments before Erwin spoke up.

            “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought the subject back,” Erwin said softly.

            “Whatever. I’m over it,” Levi lied simply. Erwin turned to face his hardened friend.

            “Are you really?” Levi widened his eyes at Erwin’s question. No one had asked him if he was telling the truth or not. Either way, he couldn’t meet Erwin’s intense blue eyes.

            “I’m not having this conversation now,” he said finally. “I’m just going to go grab some dinner and turn in; today was exhausting.” Levi turned away from Erwin and began to walk back.

            “Levi wait!” Erwin called out after him.

            “Goodnight Erwin,” Levi said with a tone of finality while he walked away and waved to the man behind him.

-X-

            Levi was already fast asleep when a door slam and the sound of something shattering woke him. He sat up in his bed and immediately lit his hand in flames to look around the room. Eren wasn’t in his bed but instead panting heavily at the door. His messy brown hair was messier than usual and his forehead as pressed firmly against the wooden bedroom door. In a burst of energy, Eren picked up a small wooden carving from a decorative table and threw it as hard as he could against the wall. The carving broke apart with a crack as it hit the wall. Eren let out a frustrated scream as he threw the carving and pulled at his hair afterwards. In an instant, Levi jumped out of bed and ran to Eren. He wobbled as he ran to Eren, forgetting that he wasn’t wearing his boot.

            “What’s wrong? Eren talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong,” Levi said hurridly. He had _never_ seen Eren react like this before-not even when he was fighting Annie in the Spirit World. So naturally, he was terrified.

            “I DON’T KNOW WHO I CAN FUCKING TRUST ANYMORE! GODDAMN IT!” Eren shouted. Levi cautiously stood an arm’s length away, letting Eren pace the floor angrily. By chance, the other inhabitants of the cabin were away visiting Mikasa when Eren began shouting so Levi let him continue.

            “MY FATHER LEFT US OVER A YEAR AGO AND NOW HE COMES BACK IN, SAYING HE DIDN’T WANT TO?! HE SAID ILSE- _AVATAR ILSE, MY OWN FUCKING PAST LIFE,_ TOLD HIM TO LEAVE SO I COULD BECOME THIS!” Eren gestured angrily to his body and pounded at the door again. “I NEVER WANTED THIS. I NEVER WANTED ANY OF THIS!” Eren’s breathing became more labored and his eyes flickered. Levi took a precautionary step back but still did not speak. “AS IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH, MY MOTHER LIED TO ME TOO! SHE KNEW MY FATHER LEFT BUT SHE LOOKED ME IN THE EYE AND TOLD ME HE’D BE BACK. SHE SAW ME GO THROUGH DENIAL AND EVERYTHING BUT NEVER FUCKING SPOKE UP!” Eren stopped pacing the floor and his eyes flashed light blue; the same blue they turned when he went into the Avatar State. Air currents from seemingly nowhere began shaking the room and circulating around Eren. Levi was blown back as a strong gust of wind blew out the back wall and into the cavern night. A piece of wood whizzed by Levi’s face and cut a deep gash above his eyebrow. He stumbled but caught his footing before throwing his hand that wasn’t occupied with fire over his eyebrow to prevent the blood from dripping down his face. He had to end this and quick.

            “EREN!” Levi shouted. The boy was beginning to levitate upwards in a sphere of circulating air but Levi couldn’t let that happen. He dashed forward and lit a small bundle of wood on fire to continue providing light while he extinguished the one in his hand. As he got closer, the force of the winds kept him away so he did his best to yell loud enough for Eren to hear him, if he could hear him.

            “EREN! YOU HAVE TO SNAP OUT OF IT! PLEASE!” Levi continued to beg Eren to stop but when he didn’t even so much as look Levi’s way, he knew he needed a different approach.

“EREN!” he tried again in a slightly softer tone. “YOUR PARENTS MIGHT HAVE LET YOU DOWN. ILSE MIGHT HAVE LET YOU DOWN, BUT WE WON’T. THE SURVEY CORPS WON’T. YOUR FRIENDS WON’T.” Levi’s words were affecting Eren and he managed to take small steps to get closer to Eren. He lowered his yells the closer he got. “Your family, your real family-Mikasa and Armin- they won’t either! I’m the same too, I swear to you that I will never let you down; I’d swear it on my life.” The harsh winds coming from Eren ceased and Levi grabbed his wrists to pull him down into a hug. He buried his face in the crook of Eren’s neck and whispered loud enough for only Eren to hear. “I promise that I’ll always be there for you and I’ll never let you down.” Levi pulled his head out to look at Eren’s face and not to his surprise, Eren was crying steadily with a pained expression on his face. He wrapped his arms around Levi’s smaller body and held on to him tightly letting racking sobs go.

“I-I’m so sorry Levi. I-I hurt you and I,” Eren sobbed. Levi shushed him and patted his head gently.

“It’s alright Eren. I’m here.” Levi slumped to the floor with Eren from exhaustion and a small throbbing in his recovering ankle. Levi continued to pat Eren’s head and they both stayed like that on the floor with Levi murmuring assurances to Eren until morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 35 ????????? I haven't finished it yet so I'm not sure if I will be able to in time to post Saturday.  
> What did you think about Grisha not being an asshole father for once??? And yes, there is mentions of a foreshadowed event that happened on Levi's birthday which we will find out later! 
> 
> Until next time!!(hopefully that's next saturday)!!!


	35. 700 Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some trouble in the world of Levi and Eren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry! The angst came from nowhere! I didn't plan on this happening at all but now it did so please don't be sad! Also PLEASE read the ending notes, they are very important about the remainder of this fic. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> THERE ACTUALLY WILL BE AN UPDATE TOMORROW SO YEAH. THERE IS MORE INFO ON MY TUMBLR:)

            When morning came, Hanji found Eren and Levi slumped across the intact wall, sleeping on each other’s shoulders. She stood and admired the pair for a moment before moving to wake them up. She quietly kneeled to shake Levi’s shoulder gently.         

            “Wake up Levi,” she whispered. Levi flinched and shot awake. He let out a loud groan and Eren sleepily opened his eyes at the sound.

            “What do you want Hanji?” Levi asked, clearly annoyed.

            “Well for starters, I want to see why you two are slumped across a wall with the back blown out. Ooh! Did you guys have sex last night?” she asked excitedly. At her words, all traces of sleep vanished from both men and Eren shot up, mouth open on his red, mortified face.  

            “No we did not Hanji!” Eren nearly shrieked. The waterbender laughed to herself and ruffled his hair in a motherly manner.

            “Ok, calm down. I just wanted to get a rise out of you. I heard the commotion last night but I was treating Mikasa so I visited this morning. Is everything alright?” The heat in Eren’s face faded and he looked away from Hanji’s eyes to his own lap. He felt the need to explain but he couldn’t even look her in the eye so instead, he kept quiet.

            “Eren just had a rough night that’s all,” Levi replied simply. “Some shit went down and that’s it. There’s nothing to be concerned about.” Hanji looked at Levi, mildly confused, but shrugged her shoulders and stood up.

            “Okay then. You might want to get this house fixed up soon if you want to sleep here tonight. Just earthbend the wall back, Eren.” Hanji turned with a wave and began to walk back down the path she came.

            “You okay?” Levi asked Eren once Hanji was out of earshot. Eren nodded numbly but still didn’t raise his head to look at his love. Levi huffed a sigh crossed his arms. “That’s a load of bullshit and you know it. Stop screwing around and just tell me what’s up.” Eren turned his head away still and kept quiet. The two sat in silence for a few minutes until Levi spoke up once more. “Well if you’re not going to tell me and sit there like a pile of shit, you can help me and find my ankle boot. It got lost last night and I didn’t look to find it.” Eren silently got up from his place and began searching for the bedazzled, by Hanji of course, boot. He felt Levi’s waves of annoyance radiate of him but he simply ignored it. Eren wanted some space to process what had happened the night before and what he had done. He was angry at his father, so he blew out his room wall, injuring Levi in the process. That was unforgivable and reckless and he couldn’t forgive himself for it. Solely because of him, Levi had yet another wound to heal from. He needed Levi to see that he wasn’t a good partner, that he should leave him before they had a chance to fall even deeper in love with each other.

Tears sprung at the corners of Eren’s eyes but he trudged on about the room, looking for the red boot. He stopped upon a pile of letters, all addressed to a Mr. Farlon Church and a Miss Isabel Magnolia. Coincidentally, Levi’s boot was wedged between a piece of wood and the stack of letters so as Eren bent to grab the boot, he glanced at the letters. There must’ve been over 700 letters as the pile was so ridiculously thick. The sender’s name surprised Eren the most: they were all written by Levi. His curiosity outweighed his resolve to stay quiet so he brought the stack of letters with the boot when he returned to where Levi was sitting. He bent over to give Levi the boot first and once he had begun to put it on, Eren spoke up.

“What are these?” He held the stack of letters in front of him and watched Levi’s face carefully. Levi glanced up and widened his eyes slightly.

“Where did you find those?” He asked quietly.

“Over where your boot was, but Levi what-“

“Did you read them,” Levi asked. Eren furrowed his brows at Levi’s interruption and he began to glare at the older man.

“Why do you-“

“DID YOU READ THEM?” Levi shouted. Eren started back, surprised at Levi’s outburst. Levi was glaring at him furiously with hooded eyes and Eren felt a shiver of fear. He shook his head quickly and stared at Levi. Levi quickly finished strapping on his boot and stood up. He marched over to Eren and grabbed the bundle of letters from Eren’s loose fingers. “Don’t tell anyone about these.”

“Levi what are they? You’re scaring me,” Eren managed to gasp out. But Levi simply turned his back to Eren and walked toward the door. “Levi!” he called out.

Levi turned back with his hand on the doorknob to face Eren. “Don’t worry about it,” he said calmly, his usual mask of impassiveness rooted firmly in place. “Go. You’ll be late for airbending.” With that as his parting words, Levi opened the door and left a very confused and worried Eren standing alone in their room.

-X-

“Eren concentrate!” Armin shouted at the leaping brunette. Erwin had decided to test Eren’s use of airbending to get him used to using the element during combat; so he had Eren and Armin jumping from crystal to crystal, high above the ground. Armin could tell by his best friend’s dull eyes that something had happened. He didn’t see Eren from the time they had split up yesterday when he went to stay with Mikasa at the infirmary. But if Eren didn’t concentrate at the task at hand, they’d be toast. Armin landed on a large crystal and grasped onto a notch in the smooth green gem. Eren followed him a few seconds after, panting slightly. He was about to make the next jump when Armin stopped him.

            “Eren! Wait, tell me what’s wrong,” Armin cried.

            “Nothing!” Eren shouted back. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Eren jumped off the crystal and flung himself towards the other wall, lined with jagged crystals. He stuck his leg out and only just touching the sharp edge, he propelled himself about the row of sharp crystal and clung to the hard earth. Armin followed behind him but managed to nick his shoulder on the cutting edge of some crystal. He whimpered to himself at the sting and Eren glanced over. His face went pale before he turned away and wiped his eyes hastily. Eren tensed his body, ready to make the next jump, when Armin reached out and grabbed his wrist.

            “Eren fucking Jaeger; you tell me what’s wrong and you’d better do it now,” Armin demanded. Eren grew rigid but soon slumped over himself and turned to face Armin with watery eyes.

            “It’s Levi. I-I hurt him last night when I accidentally triggered the Avatar State and-“

            Armin’s mouth fell open. “You did WHAT last night?” Eren hurriedly shushed his friend and motioned for them to proceed with the drill. They leapt again and this time landed on the ruins of the Meeting House. As they began running to the edge of the roof to jump, Eren began to explain the situation.

            “Well, last night I was upset with what Grisha and I talked about and I had a bit of a fit. I guess my anger triggered the Avatar State but either way, because of that Levi got hurt. This morning I went to find his boot because it was blown away with all the heavy winds I produced.” Eren paused as he and Armin launched themselves into the air again and formed air scouters, a maneuver Erwin taught them that morning in training, to ride on the walls. Erwin was watching below and through up two staffs, both expertly caught by his two young students.

            “Yeah so I found the boot but it was wedged next to this big ass stack of letters. I swear there’s over 700. They’re all addressed to Levi’s deceased friends from him. Naturally I asked him about it but no response-he said don’t worry about it and left the room.” As their air scouters tuckered out, both boys threw their gliders out and jumped onto them. They spiraled the air, slowly descending to stop on the ground.

            “Did you do something stupid beforehand?” Armin asked bluntly.

            “No!” Eren cried. “I just- He needs to see that I’m a violent kid. I shouldn’t be with him. I-“Eren stopped talking when he saw Armin’s furious face. “What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”

            “YES!” Armin yelled. They made a graceful landing and began to trudge over to Erwin, conversing in angry, hushed tones. “Eren, don’t fuck what you have going on right now. Levi cares about you very much and to treat him like that is downright rude and disrespectful. If I did something that accidentally hurt you, would you want me to suddenly turn away and try to convince you to stay away from me, after everything we’ve been through? Eren looked down at his own feet, ashamed at his own childish actions.

            “I should apologize, shouldn’t I?” Eren muttered.

            “Definitely. Go as soon as you can,” Armin ordered. The pair of airbenders finally approached Sefu Erwin and bowed respectfully.

            “I am impressed with your skills to quickly adapt to your surroundings you two,” Erwin said proudly. “That will be especially useful when you are in battle. When I test you on airbending, this will be a portion of the test. Practice in your spare time but for now, you’re done the day.” Eren and Armin both bowed again to Erwin before walking back to the barrack.

            “Hey Armin,” Eren asked. “Would you mind helping me clean something?”

            “Sure,” Armin replied happily. Eren grinned to himself and took the lead, running back to barrack number 104. “Eren wait up!” he cried, running after his best friend. Eren tore into the barrack and made a beeline for his room. Armin came soon after, wheezing from his mad dash to catch up with Eren.

            “Okay so don’t freak out but I need help cleaning the room.”

            Armin looked puzzled. “Why would I freak out? All you said was that it was a little…” Armin’s words died in his throat as Eren pushed open the door. Armin dropped his mouth open in awe as he gazed over the scattered items and destroyed bits of wood littering the ground. There was no back wall and the beds were strewn about. Armin glared at his friend smiling sheepishly at him. “No fucking way Eren.”

            Eren immediately protested Armin’s angry reply. “But Armin,” he whined, “you prooomised!”

            “I most certainly did not!”

            “Yes you did! And you said that you’d help me fix this,” he gestured to the room, “and me and Levi. Going back on your word isn’t very noble you know,” Eren said pointedly, giving Armin a “you-already-know-the-right-thing-to-do” look.

            “How is cleaning this going to get Levi to forgive you? You’re in a deep hole that not even cleaning will fix.”

            “I know that but it will help my chances. So please?” Eren clasped his hands together, stuck out his bottom lip, and widened his already large, shining eyes.

            “Fine but only, _and I do mean only_ , for you and Levi.” Eren cheered and ushered Armin inside.

 

-X-

            It took them the rest of the evening to clean and fix the room to its previous condition. Eren had thanked Armin for his help and let him leave to go have dinner while he finished the room up. After he finished putting the wall back up, the final step, he went to visit Mikasa in the infirmary. She was healing quickly but still had the sniffles and her fire wasn’t quite blue yet. He walked the familiar pathway and said hello to Hanji sitting at her desk before walking back to Mikasa’s room. He knocked on the door and after hearing no reply, he gently pushed it open. Mikasa was sleeping with her back facing him. Eren smiled to himself and walked up to his sister. He brushed her hair from her face and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead.

            “I was wondering when you’d stop by,” she said sleepily. Eren started from surprise but was soon chuckling.

            “I had some Avatar shit to do. Training doesn’t happen on its own you know,” he replied smartly earning a small slap. Mikasa turned around to face Eren and knit her eyebrows.

            “How’s you and Levi? Armin told me what happened when he came in with some lychee nuts a little bit ago.” Eren glanced away before meeting Mikasa’s eyes again.

            “I’m going to apologize but I need something first. Maybe flowers or something but it’s hard to find them down here.” He sighed and glanced downwards.

            “Ask Squad Leader Hanji. I know she has some fire lilies down here. Maybe she’ll spare you a flower?” Eren’s face lit up and he abruptly stood up.

            “Oh my goodness that’s a great idea Mikasa! I’m going to go but thanks a bunch!” Mikasa smiled and waved before sneezing and groaning.

            As Eren ran out the door to Hanji, Mikasa called out a word of caution. “Be careful Eren! Take care of yourself so you’re not sick like me!” The door swung shut and Mikasa made herself comfortable under her blankets once again and quickly fell back asleep.

            “Hanji!” Eren shouted as he approached the startled brunette. “Do you have and flowers?” Hanji just grinned and pulled a bundle of fire lilies from under her desk. “How?”

            “Levi came by earlier today and started venting to me. I figured you’d be here as well to come up with a way to apologize. These are Levi’s favorite flower; they remind him of his mother.” Eren just stood agape at Hanji for her brilliance. “I know, I’m incredible but it’d be better if you went back to welcome Levi with those flowers. He should be finishing dinner just about now,’ she said while glancing at the clock on the wall. Eren nodded and bowed deeply to Hanji.

            “You have my most sincere wishes and thanks, Hanji!” With those parting words, Eren dashed out of the infirmary and back to the barrack. He ran straight for the room and began to straighten the already impeccable room. Just as Eren was fluffing the pillows, the doorknob jiggled and Levi stumbled into the room, glaring at the door before laying his eyes upon Eren looking at him innocently and holding up the flowers.

            Levi glanced at the flowers and then looked back up to meet Eren’s eyes. “We need to talk,” he said finally. Eren swallowed hard and nodded, gesturing to Levi’s bed. They both walked over and sat down next to each other.

            “So are you going to tell me what the fuck was going on with you this morning?” Levi asked bluntly.

            Eren looked down, clearly ashamed but answered Levi none the less. “I felt horrible for hurting you yesterday night all because I couldn’t handle my shit and I thought it’d be better for you if I showed you that I’m not a knight in shining armor. I’m not the guy you should be with Levi, I’m just a violent kid with far too many issues. So I thought that if I dismissed you, you’d realize that and we’d split before we would fall hard for each other. I-I thought that I was doing the right thing but I realize that I wasn’t and it was stupid and childish to think that and-“Eren stopped his flow of words the moment Levi held a finger to his lips.

            “Listen to me Eren. I know that you probably thought you were doing the right thing but trust me when I say that I won’t leave you over something as petty as this. Hell, I won’t leave you period. And we are going to have fights, that’s natural for any relationship but when we do, don’t even think that breaking up is the best option because it’s not. We can talk it out like what we’re doing now.” Levi paused for a moment before asking hesitantly, “Why? Why did you even go into the Avatar State though?”

            Eren sighed and looked at the wall. “I felt betrayed and hurt because Grisha, my father, told me that Avatar Ilse told him to leave me and my family. He also said that my mother, Carla Jaeger, knew about everything. But she lied to me, to my face, and watched me become bitter without saying anything. I just feel like my entire life was a lie and it’s only now that I’m seeing that.” Levi nodded and the two sat in silence a bit longer.

            “The letters you found this morning,” Levi began. “I wrote them all to Farlon and Isabel; my best friends. I know that you know the gist of what happened and I’ll spare you the details now but basically, I was in denial for a long time about their deaths. So I would write a letter every day to them to tell them what I did and how I was doing. In the early days, I sent countless letters by messenger hawks to them but after the first month of no replies, I stopped sending them. After that I just wrote letters and kept them. I’m not sure why I still do it but it makes me feel at peace I guess. I haven’t read any letters I’ve written to them but I still keep them. I guess it was my way of coping with the pain without showing it to anyone.”

            “Are you ever going to tell me about them in detail one day?” Eren asked.

            “Maybe,” Levi sighed. “As for now, go wash your ass and get to bed,” Levi said with a smirk. “I appreciate the flowers and the cleaned room, but you really ought to shower before I can give you a hug.” Eren laughed and stood up. He grabbed his towel and ran off to the showers with Levi watching his every move. Once he left, Levi grabbed piece of paper and a thin paintbrush with ink and began to write another letter.

            _To my dearest Farlon and Isabel,_

_I think I’ve become a sap. There’s this brat that I’ve fallen pretty damn hard for. He’s such a little shit but I can’t lose him. His name is Eren Jaeger and I think you’d like him. He has eyes like yours Isabel and is somewhat sharp minded like you Farlon. I miss you two more than you know but I think this is going to be my last letter. I’ve finally come to accept your passing and I hope wherever you are now is good for you. You guys have each other and I have my Eren._

_Stay safe and protect each other, my final order to you. Take care and thank you for all you’ve done for me._

_Love now and forever,_

_Levi_

            Levi looked over his letter and sighed heavily. He let the ink dry slightly before folding the letter up and tucking it into an envelope and sticking it in the large stack. “Goodbye guys,” he said, his voice cracking on the last word. He quickly cleared his throat and turned to face the door as his Eren came waltzing in, freshly showered and dressed with a smile on his face. Levi placed the stack down on his bed and turned to meet his love with a small smile, leaving his old friends behind permanently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 36?????? This is the beginning of the tiny hiatus I must take. If I can, I will try to post at least one chapter per week but I'm not sure. I need to plan to get the plot moving and shift gears into approaching the ending of this story (which is coming up sooner than you might think) I feel incredibly bad about this but I really don't want to half-ass this fic, it deserves better and you guys deserve better so yeah. Around the first two weeks of March, if everything goes okay, I should be back to updating twice a week. 
> 
> If you want to ask me any questions about this(or just leaving a comment), my tumblr is: chibinico 
> 
> Thanks guys! See you hopefully next week!


	36. Levi's Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is an emergency meeting to discuss the state of affairs. Levi comes up with a plan that might just save them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you didn't know I changed my mind about an update today, surprise! This is probably my shortest chapter in a while and with future updates they'll be longer, that's a promise I intend to keep. There's a bit of a plot twist here so enjoy!!

            Levi was in the midst of training Mikasa when the alarm bell sounded. It had been a few days since she was discharged from the infirmary and she was itching to train and fight.  Levi was about to show her how to make a shield of fire to give you time to escape enemies when the familiar shrill bell went off. He froze in his track and glanced up at the ceiling. Already, he saw captains and leaders making their way to the Meeting House. Levi turned to Mikasa and quickly barked out an order.

            “Go inside to the barrack. Get in the deepest part and stay there. Grab Eren and Armin if you can, that’s an order. Go!” Mikasa nodded and dashed off to find her brother and friend while Levi ran in the other way. There wasn’t a drill scheduled for today so he figured that it was an emergency. He kept running to the wall where the Meeting house was as fast as he could. If they were being attacked, he knew that he’d be deployed. He was Humanity’s Strongest after all.

            Levi came upon the wall and leapt onto it only to push off it and launch himself up. Once he was airbourn, he thrust his hands down and blasted fire below him, successfully flying through the air to the front door of the ancient house. He ran inside and into the meeting chamber. The chamber was filled with people remaining in the underground base and to his surprise, Mike and Nanaba, who had been gone for weeks. Erwin sat at the head of the table and quieted the room down. As Levi made his way to his seat at Erwin’s right hand side, Hanji burst through the door.

            “Everyone is inside their barracks at the lowest level. The meeting may commence,” she said officially.

            “Very well then. This was not a drill but not quite an emergency either. I am impressed at the amount of time it took for everyone to gather,” Erwin said. At his words, the tense air seemed to lift as everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. “We are here however to discuss the state of affairs internationally. I sent Mike and Nanaba about a month ago to go about the air nation and count their numbers. This will directly affect us and the Earth King so I will allow them to elaborate now on their mission.” Erwin looked to Mike who nodded back and stood up.

            “The air nation is in disarray and in need of help. Their great nation had over four million citizens but their numbers have dropped to about 400,000 citizens worldwide. They will go extinct if we do not take action. In addition, our own forces have been dwindling. The attacks from Titans have gotten worse globally and are more frequent. We need to do something to slow them down immediately. I predict that by the end of the year, the air nation will go extinct without any action from us.” The room broke into panicked shouts and suggestions at Mike’s ultimatum.

            “OI!” Levi shouted above everyone. Erwin shot him a questioning look but Levi ignored it. “I have a plan that might work.” All eyes fell upon Levi as he calmly folded his hands on the table and leaned forward. The room was silent as Levi began to speak. “You all know I was in the Spirit World for about a week. While I was there, I learned that spirits can be controlled by Titans. I also met three spirits who are under Titan control but want to be free and will help us out any way they can. These three are spirits of portals. They said that their portals have been forcibly taken over and the Titans are abusing their portals to wonder into our world whenever they want. If we form an alliance with them, we can go back to the Spirit World, free those spirits and reduce the amount of attacks by Titans we will get, indirectly saving the air nation.” Erwin looked at Levi with wide eyes, impressed while Hanji looked at Levi with a maniacal grin.

            “Levi, there are a few flaws in your plan,” Hanji spoke up. “For one thing, I thought you said you can’t bend in the Spirit World. Freeing those spirits will take bending abilities. Two, how will we survive in the Spirit World? Three, who would even go after seeing how you and Eren returned? And four, don’t forget about the time difference; one week here is three days there.” There were a few uneasy murmurs of people agreeing with Hanji’s points but a soft voice spoke up and silenced the murmurs.

            “I can help you out there,” Guru Marco said from the other end of the table. He stood up and began to speak a bit louder so everyone could hear him at Jean’s persistence. “There is a way for humans to enter the Spirit World with all they need to survive: water, food, clothes, even bending. All you need to do is go through a Natural Spirit Portal, not the ones that spirits can conjure. I believe there are two portals in existence. They are located at the poles and only the Avatar can open or close them. I can teach Eren how to use his spiritual energy to do so and then you can bring whoever you wish inside. Eren will have to bring them out again of course so he will have to go on this mission. You’re going to want to do this on the winter solstice; it’s the best time of year for humans to go into the Spirit World as both worlds are closer at that time. And for your dilemma with the air nation, while Eren is gone, I will go back to help defend the temples. If you send a squad with me, I can try to teach the airbenders how to defend themselves.” Marco shrugged his shoulders and sat back down next to Jean.

            “Well Hanji,” Levi began, “there’s your solutions. As for who will be going, if Avatar Eren must go then I will bring my squad and myself to go and protect him. We’re also going to need someone who knows the Water Tribe and can get us inside to the portals.”

            “I can do it,” Hanji volunteered. “I am a citizen of the Southern Water Tribe. I can get us to the Southern Portal, not the Northern one though so we’ll need to move quickly if we are going to get there by the winter solstice.”

            “As much as I like this plan,” Erwin began, “I don’t like how many people are going. That’s losing most of our elites on this mission.”

            “It’s worth it. If we succeed, think of the benefits,” Levi pushed. “This is our best shot to help the air nation and keep the world’s balance without a huge loss of life. Marco, how long will it take you to teach Eren how to use his spiritual energy?”

            “If you let me work with him all day every day, a week at most,” he said confidently.

            Erwin sighed heavily and looked at his two most trusted Squad Leaders. “Are you sure this is the best path?”

            “It’s the only path,” Hanji said gently. Erwin nodded and addressed the chamber.

            “Very well. It is decided that Squad Levi and Leaders Hanji and Levi will accompany Avatar Eren to the spirit portal in the South Pole to free the spirits taken over by the Titans and to help save the air nation. You are to leave in two weeks’ time. Dismissed.” All those gathered stood to bow and salute Erwin before leaving the room. Erwin however called out to Hanji and Levi. “Levi. Hanji. Stay a moment.” The two obediently listened and sat down waiting for Erwin to speak. As soon as the door closed, Erwin began talking. “Whatever it takes. I know that Hanji was banished from the Northern Water Tribe and if anyone at the Southern Water Tribe questions you or tries to turn you in, do whatever it takes to free yourselves. People can be controlled by spirits so be wary.”

            “Erwin are you implying that you want us to break the rules to get results? That would mean bloodbending and other forms of the body’s manipulation,” Hanji asked in a hushed tone.

            “I’m not implying anything. I’m simply stating what you have to do because of what is at stake. Levi, why don’t you give any contacts of yours a shake down and see if they can help.”

            “You want me to call up Kenny? He’s not to be trusted Erwin,” Levi said sternly.

            “It was only a suggestion Levi. I’m not giving you any direct orders.”

            “There’s more than what meets the eye here isn’t there?” Levi asked.

            “Yes. So listen to my suggestions and we’ll be alright,” Erwin said with a tone of finality. “Dismissed.”

            Levi and Hanji bowed and saluted again and left the room.

            “Something’s off,” Hanji said.

            “No fucking kidding,” Levi replied. They glanced uneasily at each other and parted ways, each with a growing feeling of uneasiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 37????? Whenever it comes out, it'll be out.  
> I was inspired to write some bloodbending from a comment several chapters back and I can't wait to show Hanji's torturous side. 
> 
> Thank you for all the hits, kudos, and comments!! I love you guys so much so please bare with me. Leave a comment about what you think about the fic so far ad I'll try to get back to you! You can also always find me at my tumblr: chibinico. Don't forget, I track the tag 'fic: my bending master' on tumblr too


	37. Two Weeks of Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi fills in his Squad about their upcoming mission and the training gets to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK! TECHNICALLY THIS IS THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH SO HERE'S THE LONGEST CHAPTER I'VE EVER WRITTEN FOR YOU GUYS! (so serious, this chapter was originally intended to be split into two or three chapters but then it became this 6K monster) ALSO, 200 KUDOS? YOU'RE ALL TOO KIND!! I honestly did NOT expect such feedback!! Thank you soooo much! 
> 
> God I hate hiatuses but its over now. I've gotten my final timeline for this fic set in place now and so the only thing left to do is write those chapters! For those waiting for the promised smut, it's coming and soon. For updates, it's probably going to be reduced to every Saturday and MAYBE an update on Sunday. I'm not sure yet. It's good to be back though so please without further a do, the chapter!

            After the alarm bell sounded off, Mikasa ran to grab Eren and Armin. They were both in the process of returning to the barrack anyway so she joined them. A bead of sweat trailed down Eren’s temple as he sprinted to the door.

            “Do you guys know what’s going on?” he shouted while running.

            “Master Levi told me to get to the lowest part of the barrack with you!” Mikasa shouted back. “I doubt that this was a drill. Something urgent must have come up for them to sound the alarm.” The trio burst through the door and ran to the earthen hallway. Eren knelt quickly and pressed his hand to the ground to sense any breaks in the earth. He grinned to himself and spread his arms apart, splitting the ground below him. A deep, wide hole opened up and they were greeted by Sasha, Connie, and the others’ faces. Eren smirked before jumping in and greeted the stunned friends.

            “You guys alright?” Thomas asked as Mikasa and Armin joined Eren in the pit. Eren quickly closed the hole after they were safely inside and Mikasa lit a fire in her palm to give off light. Thomas soon joined her flames and the little cavern was brightly lit in a mix of blue, orange, and yellow light.

            “Yeah for the most part,” Armin sighed. “Wow. I think the last time I was in a pit for something like this was in Shiganshina.” Armin clamped a hand over his mouth, widened his eyes and looked apologetically at Mikasa and Eren. “I’m so sorry! I was just thinking and-“

            “It’s okay Armin; you’re right anyway. Hopefully no one ends up dead this time,” Eren trailed off.

            It seemed like several hours had passed when Sasha abruptly stood up, grinning almost as manically as Hanji. “Captain Levi’s back!” she whisper-shouted excitedly. Eren was up on his feet in a second and placed his hand against the cavern wall. He could feel the light steps of a person walking above them. The steps came to a halt before starting to pace briefly. Instantly, Eren could identify the heavy yet airy footsteps of Levi and he let out a laugh.

            “It’s him alright. Let’s go up.” The group nodded to show their approval and both Eren and Sasha brought them up to the ground level, next to Levi. He jumped in startled surprise at first before recollecting his composure. But when he turned to look at the two squads, Eren immediately could tell that something was off.

            “Okay listen up,” he ordered. “I’m going to tell you this once and don’t tell anyone else this information until Erwin gives the okay. We’re leaving in two weeks to the Southern Water Tribe. By ‘we’, I mean Squad Levi.” Mikasa widened her eyes and immediately looked to Eren as those in Squad Dita relaxed their tense shoulders. “Don’t worry Mikasa, Eren is coming with us; Hanji too. Things are shifting for the final stretch now. Eren,” Levi turned and faced Eren directly. “You are to be training with Marco every day all day for this entire week. The following week, you will be training all day, every day with Erwin to try and finish your airbending training.” Eren knit his brows above his wide eyes. He opened his mouth to object but was quickly silenced by Levi’s glare. “We are aiming to reach the Southern Water Tribe by the winter solstice-December 21. I know this doesn’t give you a lot of time to do all this but it’s mandatory and necessary. I’ll give you more details when we are moving. Armin,” the small blond jumped when Levi barked his name out but looked at his captain with shining eyes.

            “Y-yes?”

            “Are you more advanced than Eren in airbending?” The question startled Armin but he responded quickly.

            “Yes. I’m more capable than him but I don’t really-“he was cut off my Levi again.

            “Good. Erwin wants to evaluate you for these next two weeks. While we are away, it’ll be your duty to train him. So for the next two weeks, you will be training with Erwin every day all day. Connie, how’s your leg?”

            Connie looked at Levi with a startled expression. “My leg? Oh yeah its fine. I can walk on it fine.”

            “Can you bend? Did you get the all clear?” Connie nodded his head. “Good, you’ll be training with Armin too. You need to get back into shape. Sasha, are you okay with your bending abilities?” She too nodded and Levi moved on to Mikasa. “I know you’re good already but I want to teach you some other techniques to use. You’ll have the same schedule as Eren and Armin then. All day, every day with me.” Mikasa nodded her head and saluted the Captain.

            “Captain Levi! Um, may I have a word?” Eren burst forward. “Maybe, uh, somewhere private?” Levi sighed but nodded and began to walk to the door with Eren in tow. Once they made it outside, he walked around to a corner of the barrack out of anyone’s view, leaned his head against Eren’s chest and groaned.

            “What do you want?” Levi asked in a muffled voice.

            “Is this about the Spirit World? Are we going back?” Eren’s voice quivered only slightly but it was enough for Levi to look up. He placed his hands on either side of Eren’s worried face and took a deep breath.

            “We are going back. But nothing is going to happen to us. We’ll be fine and if everything goes according to plan, humanity might just have won a battle against those damn beasts. Don’t worry, just train.” Levi punctuated each word with a gentle pat to Eren’s cheeks and gave him a crooked grin that made Eren’s knees weak. “Now come on, I’m so tired and I want some food.”

            “The fuck am I going to get any food?” Eren replied with a laugh.

            “I don’t know. I’m just stating a fact, jeez.” Levi deadpanned. They both chuckled to themselves and stayed like that for a few minutes before Eren broke the silence with a question.

            “Is it for Annie and the others?” he breathed out. Levi nodded his head against Eren’s chest and Eren sighed. “Then the air nation is getting worse?” Levi didn’t reply but only nodded again. “I guess that means that since we’re going to the Southern Water Tribe, it has something to do with the spirits too, right?” Levi nodded again but responded.

            “There’s a portal there that if we pass through, we’ll be able to bring supplies and be able to bend and shit.” Levi let out a long yawn and lifted his head to show Eren his tired, red eyes. “The training starts tomorrow so I’m going to go sleep now. Are you coming?”

            Eren widened his eyes. “You’re finally going to share a bed with me?” he asked incredulously.

            “No. I’m asking if you’re tired and are going to sleep.” Eren’s hopeful grin dropped to an endearing smile and he quickly bent down to give Levi a quick peck on the lips.

            “Sure. Someone has to make sure you don’t have any nightmares so I’ll be there.”

            “M’kay,” Levi said softly with another yawn. They walked closely together back into the barrack; a beeline for their shared bedroom to nap.

-X-

            The next week was anything but pleasurable for anyone, except maybe Marco. Eren was jostled roughly at the crack of dawn (he assumed) to Levi’s slender fingers.

            “Is it already time to get up?” he groaned.

            “Yeah I know. This is really sucking ass,” Levi replied tiredly as he continued to vigorously shake Eren awake.

            “But this isn’t even fair Levi,” Eren whined. “It’s the fucking asscrack of the goddamn morning and now you’re going to make me get up, probably clean some shit, and then wash said shit off in the fucking shower before I go and meditate on spiritual energy for-fucking-ever until I come back to this shit hole and go to sleep for like three goddamn, fucking hours. And you can stop fucking shaking me now.”

            Levi chuckled at Eren and stopped shaking him, instead in favor of slinging the boy out of bed and onto his shoulder.

            “AGH! What the FUCK Levi! Let me down! Fuck this shit!” Eren cried loudly wiggling his legs and waving his arms the best he could.

            “You have the filthiest mouth when you’re grouchy so I’m going to try to make you laugh to calm your ass down. Speaking of which, stop moving or I’m going to drop you,” Levi said calmly. Slowly Eren stopped moving his limbs and Levi began to move again, this time towards the doors.

            “Where are we going?” Eren asked. He held his eyes shut as he bounced with each of Levi’s steps. Watching the hall upside down while moving was making him sick.

            “It’s a surprise. Close your eyes in fact,” Levi ordered.

            “Way ahead of you, Heichou.” Levi growled at the nickname he despised and opened a door. Eren felt the swoosh of air against his face as the door swung shut. “Can I open my eyes now?”

            “Yeah,” Levi said calmly. He gently placed Eren on his feet and the boy began rubbing the dark spots from his eyes. “This is my favorite place to go relax if I’m really stressed. Maybe it’ll help you out in the mornings.”

            Eren opened his eyes, wide in anticipation, and his mouth quickly dropped open but not in awe. They sure enough were in the bathroom, facing the shower stall. “I can’t believe you.”

            “See? It’s working. That’s the first sentence you’ve said without swearing,” Levi said with a smirk. “Also, it’s not the asscrack of dawn, it’s 7:30. Your lesson doesn’t start until 8:15 with Marco and I have some food if you want it.” Despite Eren’s glare towards him, Levi felt happy. He felt even happier when Eren rolled his eyes and stole a kiss of his lips before he had time to react.

            “Thanks Heichou,” he said slyly.

            “Anything for a brat,” Levi retorted quickly before leaving to let Eren get undressed.

            “Oh Levi,” Eren said to himself while he was in the shower. “Just what am I going to do with you?” His shower was decent and quick before Eren jumped out and tossed on the cleanest clothes he found. He dashed out of the bathroom smelling faintly of lavender and citrus before bounding into the bedroom. “Where’s the food you said you had?”

            Levi pointed to his nightstand as he finished adjusting his shirt. Eren dashed over and grabbed a moon peach and a few dumplings Levi had left out for him. He stuffed a dumpling in his mouth before running back out to the door. He paused a moment and pushed the food to the sides of his mouth so he could speak.

            “Thank you!” he said around his dumpling, spraying tiny bits of food onto the floor.

Levi glared at him in disgust and said sharply, “Don’t fucking talk with food in your mouth. That’s fucking disgusting.” Eren blew a kiss with a small shrug and ran out the barrack door. Before leaving completely, he glanced at the clock; it read 8:05. Eren nearly choked on his food again and began to sprint to the fields where he and Marco met. Marco was already sitting on the ground with his eyes closed, meditating.

“Hello Eren,” he said softly as Eren approached. “Don’t worry, you’re not late. Just have a seat.” Eren listened to his newest master and sat down. “Good. Now meditate within yourself.”

“Um, Guru Marco, I don’t really know how to meditate,” Eren said embarrassedly.

Marco opened his eyes a crack but shut them again with a smile. “No worries. That’s what I’m here for. Okay then, close your eyes. Think about you; concentrate on what makes you, Eren Jaeger, the Avatar. Find your inner Avatar Spirit. Start slowly like what do you look like? Then venture deeper: what do I like? What are my goals? Why am I here? Who am I? Who is the Avatar? What makes me the Avatar spiritually?” Eren followed Marco’s advice and closed his eyes. With each question of Marco’s, Eren felt himself slowly slipping away from awareness of his surroundings.

“What makes me the Avatar spiritually?” Eren repeated softly to himself. He looked back on his life up to the last 17 years. Every time he had gotten into trouble trying to help someone or just by simply fighting. His conscience had always scolded him afterwards for each reckless fight but praised him when it was to protect someone else. Eren shuddered as a realization came to him. What he had always thought was his conscience was really the Avatar spirit inside him; if only he could channel it. Eren began to concentrate harder; he even began chanting in his head.

            “Relax Eren,” Marco’s voice rang out. “Meditation doesn’t require that much concentration. You just have to have to have a goal that you’re meditating to in mind.” Eren relaxed his face and let out a soft sigh. If he was going to get anywhere, he had to calm down and let all his extra energy settle inside of him. He began to take a series of long, deep breaths. He sat still and just thought about the simple things like Marco had told him. He visualized his surroundings first. There was a tree a ways down from him and a fountain behind a barrack. Marco was in front of him. They were sitting on a grassy hill and he imagined a cool breeze. He thought up Avatar Ilse and his other past lives joining him and Marco on the hill. There were so many people, he thought that they’d never end.

            Eren’s past lives stretched over more hills he envisioned and he sighed contently. Each of these people were inside him, all their knowledge and experience at his disposal. One day, he’d be among them. A voice hummed in agreement and Eren jolted out of his state of serenity and peace. His eyes snapped wide open and he looked around, seeking where the voice came from. Marco was watching him curiously.

            “You okay there Eren?” he asked.

            “I thought I just heard a voice,” Eren gasped out, still reeling in shock.

            “Find it again. That’s most likely the Avatar Spirit you need to access.” Marco’s words were firm, like he just gave Eren an order to follow. And follow it Eren did. He screwed his eyes shut and slowly eased himself back onto that train of thought that led him to hear a voice. He was thinking about the past Avatars and he’d become one of them inside his reincarnation’s body. He waited for anything but was denied. His image of the green hills and people was fuzzy, interrupted.

            _Hello?_ He thought attentively. He didn’t really think he’d get a response but it was worth a try.

            “ _Hello Eren,”_ the voice in his head replied back. He moved his head back in surprise and quickly asked another question.

            _Who are you? What are you doing in my head?_

_“I am the original Spirit of the Avatar. My name is Rava. I hold the secrets that unlock the Avatar and I am an ancient spirit. Why have you called out to me?”_

Eren swallowed and answered hesitantly. _I-I have to learn how to call upon you to for an important deed that only the Avatar can perform. I’m just not sure what it is yet._

_“You wish to use your true spiritual power as the Avatar then?”_

_Um, I guess? They were really unspecific about it._

_“Very well Eren. I will allow my power to be passed along to you when you need it. Just seek me out from deep inside and I will fill you with my power. Go now, your friend awaits you.”_ Rava’s voice faded from his head like a wisp of fog and suddenly Eren was back to senses. He found that his eyes were already open and Marco looked peaceful as he stared at Eren.

            “Did you do it? Talk to the spirit?” he eagerly asked.

            “Yeah,” Eren replied softly. “She said she’d give me that power when I called to her.”

            “Fantastic! Okay since it’s late, I say we can turn in for the night.” Eren widened his eyes in disbelief and glanced around but Marco was right. The night torches were lit around the cavern and the crystals glowed mutedly.

            “How did that even?” he asked flabbergasted. “How long was I meditating?”

            “About four hours or so,” Marco replied casually while getting up. “It’s common when you talk to spirits through meditation that it takes a long time.”

            Eren got up slowly and looked around again. “What are we going to do the rest of the week then since I talked to her?”

            “You need practice getting in and out of the Spirit World at will. That’ll be important for when I teach you how to master the Avatar State,” Marco said as they began to walk back to the barracks. They approached the barrack labeled 104 in no time and walked inside, tired. Armin and Connie were already back and snoring while Mikasa sat on her bed staring at the door with Jean. Once Eren and Marco made it into their vision, they both visibly relaxed and shifted away from each other.

            “How was it Eren?” Mikasa asked tiredly.

            “I’ll tell you later,” he replied while yawning. He walked back to his room, closed the door, and flopped onto his bed. The sound of soft snores coming next to him lulled him to sleep like a lullaby.

-X-

            Eren and Levi quickly developed a strict wake-up schedule to get them through the hellish second week. Instead of coming home to the barrack with a feeling of drowsiness, both men came home to each other with exhaustion written over their faces. Erwin was running Eren ragged in an attempt to cram as much knowledge into him before he left. Levi had to step his game up when sparring with Mikasa which was already hard since she fought like a demon. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Levi would wake Eren up. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it was Eren’s responsibility. They used all kinds of methods to try and wake each other but none seemed to work as well as Eren dumping water on top of Levi’s head, and Levi giving Eren a hard pinch on the nape of his neck. Three days before they were to leave, both Levi and Eren woke in very unpleasant moods.

            Levi opened his bleary eyes and glared at the ceiling. A growl rose up in his throat before he could stop it and he let out a frustrated groan. He swung his legs over his bed and hesitantly stood up. He had gotten the okay at the beginning of his week of hell from Hanji to take the boot off but he still couldn’t place much weight on it yet. With a sigh, he stood up and teetered over to Eren’s sleeping form and pinched his neck. Eren shot up with a cry of surprise and immediately went on the defense, smacking Levi’s face in the process.

            “Ow! Fuck Eren!” he yelled.

            “I told you it’d happen if you didn’t quit pinching me to wake me up!” Eren yelled back.

            “What the hell though? Whose first reaction out of bed is to slap someone?”

            “Why isn’t it?”

            “Because most people don’t slap! Usually it’s a punch or some shit!” Levi said angrily. He knew that their little fight had been blown way out of proportion but he was too ticked off to care. He was sick of the constant rush to get and eat food and he was sick of hearing everyone complain at their not even moderately hard training schedule.

            “Why is this even a big deal Levi? You always take these things to heart when in reality they don’t mean jack-shit!” Eren cried, anger seeping out of every pore.  He felt so angry for no real reason that he could think of but he knew that a miniscule source of that anger came from Levi.

            “Well sorry for trying to teach you anything that clearly you’re too dumb to understand! I tell you the same goddamn advice every time I wake you up: punching is more effective than slapping! If you want me to get off your back about it, then fix the fucking issue!” Levi could see the hurt flash through Eren’s eyes and he immediately felt horrible. He had crossed a line that he had no right to cross.

            Eren’s eyes became watery for a moment before he sprung out of bed and tackled Levi back onto his. Levi’s eyes were wide open and he fell through the air with Eren on top of him. He landed on the bed with a thump and quickly began to take control of the situation. He managed to jab a quick punch to Eren’s core and wriggled out of the taller man’s grasp. As Eren rolled over to get his arms around Levi again, Levi seized his wrists and forced them above his head. Eren wiggled vigorously to try and escape but Levi’s grasp was like iron. The smaller man sat just far enough below Eren’s hips that he couldn’t buck him off either. With a groan, Eren went still and looked at Levi with watery eyes again.

            “I’m sorry,” Levi panted. “You’re not dumb and I should not have said that you were. Please forgive me.”

            Eren huffed but his scowl quickly disappeared as he nodded. Levi noticeably relaxed and the two stayed in the position for a few minutes before Levi looked down at Eren’s increasingly reddening face. As he began to question him, he felt something tap his inner thigh.

            “Holy shit. Eren are you getting hard by me sitting on you?” Levi asked incredulously.

            “…”

            “Oh my god,” Levi said with a laugh.

            “It’s not my fault! You’re really attractive and we’re in this position which is kind of intimate!” Eren managed to choke out. Levi released his wrists and stood up.

            “Go take care of that. I can’t believe you right now. We haven’t even made out yet but you’re thinking about fucking me,” Levi chuckled. Eren made a squeaking noise as he stood up and practically sprinted to the bathrooms, his hands pressed against his crimson face.

            After a freezing shower to calm down Little Eren, Eren walked back hesitantly into the room. Levi was in the closet picking out what clothes to wear and which he should pack. “Hey Eren, what do you think of these?” Levi asked holding up a red shirt and black pants that would hug his legs.

            “They look nice. Is that for the trip?” Eren asked as he went to his own side of the closet, beginning to pull clothes out as well. He took out his usual attire, a white sleeveless shirt and baggy pants with the dark green tunic, and a few other pairs of clothing.

            “Yup,” Levi answered. “Oi, get to your lesson or you’re going to be late. I’ll stick around and finish packing up your stuff.” Eren pouted but he reluctantly handed over his clothes into Levi’s capable hands before stealing a quick kiss and walking uncharacteristically fast out the door. Levi’s eyes were wide open as he stared at the door. He felt his pants get slightly tight as he stared lustfully at the door and he let out a long sigh. He placed Eren’s unfolded clothes onto his bed and grabbed his towel. Levi stripped his pants off and wrapped the towel around his waist before sneaking around the barrack to ensure that everyone was out at breakfast in the early hours. Sighing again, he went into the showers to get ready for the day - and to take care of Little Levi’s wishes.

            After reaching blissful pleasure, Levi stepped out of the shower with only slightly shaking legs. He quickly hobbled back to the room to get dressed and start to fold the clothes he left on his bed in his haste to get off. He glanced at the clock on the wall as he fumbled to put his pants on. Mikasa would be waiting outside for him soon; Levi would have to abandon their pile of unfolded clothes, no matter how much it bugged him. With a sigh, he slipped on a red shirt identical to his others and walked into the main area of the barrack. He walked over to Sasha’s bed and lifted her mattress to behold her not-so-secret stash of food for all times of the day. She was running low on breakfast items, not that she wouldn’t restock by the end of the day, so Levi took a moon peach from the designated lunch section.

            As he walked out the door, he was greeted by Mikasa laying on the ground, twirling fire in her fingertips. She perked her head up when she saw Levi approach and sat up. “Good morning pupil,” Levi said with a smirk. Why was he smirking? Hell, why was he even in a good mood?

            “Good morning Sifu Levi,” Mikasa said with a smirk of her own. “You seem to be in high spirits.”

            “I guess I am. Did you do your warmup?”

            “Yes. All 100 push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups,” she indicated to the branch on a nearby tree.

            “Good. Alright new lesson today: refining your lightning and redirecting it.” Levi began to stretch his arms out while he continued talking about the day’s lesson. “To refine your lightning, we’re just going to work at being able to create it whenever, not just when you’re angry. We’ll do that first and then I’ll show you how to redirect lightning with a trick I learned a few years ago. Okay let’s begin. Try and create some lightning for me,” Levi ordered.

            Mikasa nodded and breathed in deeply. She closed her eyes and raised her hands, pressing her fingertips together. She slowly split the apart with a small arc of lightning forming between her fingers. She shifted her hands and the lightning gathered around her right hand before she suddenly jabbed the fingers out and the lightning followed. She opened her eyes and looked over meekly at Levi. “I know it’s not much but I never liked to use lightning unless it was a necessity.”

            “No that’s fine. I can work with this,” Levi said as he stepped forward. “This is what you’ll be able to do by the end of the week. You might want to move back.” Mikasa took his word and quickly stepped back. Levi narrowed his eyes and began to move. The air darkened slightly around him as he cut the air with his two, slender fingers on his right hand first. He created a large arc with the one hand and quickly added his left to the mix, effectively creating two long arcs. Mikasa looked in awe as the air crackled and popped with the buzz of energy. Levi brought both fingertips together above his left shoulder and shot his right hand out, pointing to the top of the cavern. The lightning came out with so much force, Levi could feel the small blisters forming on his fingertips.  

            “That was incredible Levi! Uh I mean Sifu Levi,” Mikasa quickly corrected. “How did you do that?”

            “It’s simple,” Levi replied while rubbing his fingers. “You just need to learn to separate out your emotions and let a calm take over you. It’s within this calm that you’ll be able to generate the lightning; it’s also known as the cold-blooded fire for this reason. By what I saw, you can do most of that but your emotions aren’t sorted out enough. Granted, when you get very angry your lightning will be powerful but that’s because you have one main emotion filling you when you start-anger. That’s one clear cut emotion. Do you see what I mean?”

            “I think so,” Mikasa answered. “What you’re saying is that I have to either have no emotion or be full of one set emotion if I’m going to create and bend lightning. I can’t have conflicted feelings. But does that mean I can bend lightning when I’m at peace?”

            Levi shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t see why you’d want to but yes it’s completely possible. Right now, you need to work on sorting out your emotions. You can do it to a degree but not enough if you’re going to generate real lightning. Do you want some tea?”

            “Tea?” Mikasa asked puzzled.

            “Yes. Tea helps calm a person down. You need to be calm for this so you should have tea,” Levi stated as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. “You strike me as a Jasmine person but do you have any preferences?”

            “Uh, jasmine’s fine.” Levi nodded and walked into the barrack again to grab the water and tea kettle. He filled the water about three-fourths of the way and grabbed the bag of Jasmine tea leaves. He made his way back outside to where Mikasa was now sitting with her eyes closed. He sat down in front of her gracefully and began to heat the kettle.

            “Sifu Levi,” Mikasa whispered with her eyes closed. Levi looked up and made a noise of acknowledgement, prompting Mikasa to continue talking. “I-I’m scared about this mission. I want to be able to protect Eren when I must but I feel so out of my element. I’ve never been in the Spirit World and when you guys came back the first time…that was scary.” Her breathing picked up and she closed her hands into tight fists.

            “You have every right to be scared. We all are, even me. There’s no way I want to go back but we have to. And don’t be afraid to let you concerns out; keeping them in isn’t going to help you or by extension Eren. If you need to get something off your chest, come and get me. Trust me, it’ll make you feel loads better.” The tea kettle began whistling and Levi poured out the boiling water into the two already prepped cups. He handed a cup to Mikasa who had opened her eyes and they sat quietly across from each other.

            “How can you do it? This whole thing.” Mikasa suddenly asked. Levi knit his brows in confusion. “Eren hasn’t told me much about you but he said that you had a messed up past like me. So tell me, how do you do it?”

            “I lost my family when I was young and my best friends who led me down some unpleasant paths a little over two years ago. It was hell for a while and I was always angry but then I got over it. They’re gone and I can’t do anything to try and fix it. I have to move on, simple as that. I don’t dwell on the past or on my past decisions. No one knows how it’s going to turn out so I make my choices carefully, for which one doesn’t leave me with regrets. It may seem inhuman but I’m at peace and I’m fine now.” Levi sighed and took a sip of his tea. Mikasa did the same.

            “I lost my parent when I was nine,” she said quietly. “I was taken after that and that’s when I first met Eren. I might’ve killed the captors but either way, they were out of the picture after that. I lived with the Jaegers after that and when Shiganshina was destroyed, my adoptive mother Carla died. After that, I decided that Eren and Armin would be my family and I’d protect them but now I’m not sure how anymore. I get stronger but there’s still so much I don’t know,” she trailed off.

            “Are you training to be the strongest you can be?” Levi asked.

            “Of course!”

            “Then you’re done. You are pushing yourself to the limit every day in every lesson so there isn’t much else for you to do. And you still need to learn about life but that will come naturally.” Levi finished his tea in one long gulp and pointed to Mikasa’s practically untouched cup. “You really ought to finish that and relax. If the time comes that you need to protect Armin and Eren, you’ll be ready without a doubt.” Mikasa nodded and chugged her cup of tea.

            “You know, I think I like Gensing tea best,” she said politely after placing the cup down and standing. “Okay, back to lightning.”

            Levi stood in front of her after moving the tea kettle and cups back inside. “Okay then. Give it shot based on what I taught you.” Mikasa nodded and took a deep breath. With a smirk, she stuck out her two pointer fingers on her right hand and traced a circle in the air. Energy crackled and popped where fingers cut the air. She added her left hand and soon had two long arc of lightning. She tapped her fingers together and let to electricity fly out with a loud cry. Mikasa’s fingertips were smoking and she breathed heavily. Behind her she heard slow claps.

            Levi walked up to her and whistled. “I would not want to be on the receiving end of that. Try it again but faster now.” Mikasa nodded and did as Levi asked. She managed to speed up but her blast of lightning wasn’t as powerful as her first. “Sort out your emotions first! One solid feeling is all you need!” Levi shouted from his place on the side. “Speeding up your attack is necessary but hitting your opponent with a weaker attack isn’t going to help you in the long run at all. It’s just going to tire you out.” Mikasa grunted at Levi’s words and knit her brows in concentration. Beads of sweat where rolling down her arms and face but she kept going. Slowly but surely her attacks were getting stronger and more powerful than the last.

            After a particularly explosive blast of lightning, Levi stopped her. “Alright take a break. You’ve been going for quite a few hours now. I’m going to show you lightning redirection now so pay attention while you drink some water.” Mikasa nodded and panted heavily as she went to grab a bottle of water from inside the barrack. Two minutes later she came out with a half empty bottle of water and no shirt. Her stomach was glistening with sweat but she sighed happily as the cool cavern air made her shiver.

            “Okay then. When you redirect lightning, you need to be control your chi paths in your body. You want to make the lightning follow that path and you lead it through your body to another place. It’s like waterbending: you take your opponent’s energy and you use it against them. When you take the lightning into your body, it’ll come into your fingertips first. Then you bring it through your arms and down to your stomach. From your stomach, you redirect it out towards the person or not, it’s your choice,” Levi said while demonstrating. Mikasa nodded and began to do the same as he. “Good job. Always make sure it’s through your stomach because it will absorb the energy. If it goes through your chest, you’re fucked.”

            “How fucked would you say?”

            “Life or death,” Levi answered solemnly. “I want you to keep practicing this but I’m not going to shoot lightning at you. If you have spare time or are stressed, just practice this. You should be able to feel the energy in your body moving to your will. Okay do that you like twenty minutes or so and then we’ll spar until the day’s over. That sound good?”

            “Sure thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 38 Saturday! 
> 
> And on a scale of 1-10 how happy/mad would you be if I said I might start...another....fic....that....would be a prince AU....and I stared posting....possibly next week? I wouldn't let it hinder MBM's updates but it'd be more of a happy virtually no angst and all fluff fic that I would write literally to go "aww you cute dumbfucks". 
> 
> If you'd like to read something like that, let me know below and I'll consider writing it! 
> 
> Also, thanks to everyone who didn't give up on this story and to all those who left kudos and comments. You guys make my day!


	38. Goodbye Ba Sing Se!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They leave Ba Sing Se!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates!! This arc is going to be a goddamn pain in the ass to write but I shall try my very best for you!
> 
> In other news, I did start that super fluffy prince!AU fic and its called "Meet Your Daughter"! There is more info on its page but since I still have no idea how to link here, you''ll have to do it manually. :(
> 
> BUT, please enjoy this chapter!

            “This is it,” Armin said nervously. Squad Levi, Eren, and Leaders Hanji and Levi stood at the lifts. All of Squad Levi and Eren were fidgeting; each person was handling their nervousness in some way. Sasha was smiling but her eyes were too wide to hide her fear. Mikasa kept adjusting her scarf and Eren kept biting down on his hand.

            “Eren, if you keep doing that you’re going to break the skin,” Levi said in a calm voice as he looked over at his nervous squad and the Avatar. “Are you guys ready to go?” he asked everyone else. They all nodded and Levi stepped onto the first lift. Hanji and Eren followed behind him before the lift guards cut the rest from boarding. As their lift went up, another came down to bring the rest. Levi glanced over at Hanji and Eren. Hanji seemed fine, if anything more excited than usual. Eren on the other hand was clearly freaking out- he was practically gnawing on his hand. Levi stepped forward slight and smacked Eren’s down from his mouth. “I was being serious, you’ll break the skin if you keep doing that and the last thing we need is you having to be healed by Hanji before we even leave the Earth Kingdom.”

            “I’m sorry,” Eren muttered. He shut his eyes as they approached the light from the sky above and Levi followed in his example. They reached the surface soon after and dismounted from the lift. While Hanji was busy looking around, Levi took Eren’s marred hand and brought it up to his lips.

            “Don’t worry, you’ll do fine. It’s a three week journey, you don’t have to worry about anything until then. So just relax.” Levi kissed Eren’s hand before placing it gently back to his side. Eren smiled and muttered a quick thanks. “Sorry I didn’t catch that,” Levi said with a smirk.

            “I said thank you, you asshole,” Eren replied loudly. Hanji snorted at Eren’s comment as she watched the next lift come up.

            “Hey Levi,” Hanji called over. “How are we getting to the Southern Water Tribe exactly?”

            “Erwin set up some transport with the Earth King. He’s going to escort us to the tip of the Earth Kingdom and from there we’re on our own. I think they have a boat waiting for us down there that’ll take us to the Water Tribe but they aren’t going to escort us in; it’ll just be a ride.”

            “Okay so would that be the transport?” Hanji asked while taking a head count and making sure everyone was there. She pointed to a line of soldiers coming towards them. It looked like there was a wagon behind them.

            “I guess so,” Levi replied. The soldiers soon pulled up to where the group of travelers stood and one soldier addressed Levi.

            “We are here by order of the King to bring you to the edge of the Earth Kingdom. We will escort to the outer wall by the trains and then to the edge of the kingdom by wagon,” he said formally. Levi nodded and motioned for everyone to board the wagon. Eren immediately pressed his face against the window and stared at the city in awe as they passed.

            “You’re going to drool on the window if you don’t quit gaping like a baby at the city,” Levi said absentmindedly. Eren huffed and turned to face his not-quite-boyfriend.

            “I never saw the city because I was saving your ass in the Spirit World, Heichou,” Eren sassed. Hanji bit her lips to try to stop laughing but the wagon was silent enough to hear her giggles.

            They arrived at the train station in less than twenty minutes and were speeding along to reach the outer wall. As the seven took their seats, their guards sat across from them looked intently at Eren and the others. So Eren struck up a small conversation to try and loosen everyone’s nerves.

            “Hey guys want to hear a joke?”

            “Sure!” Hanji said over everyone’s groan. “Go on Eren! Tell us a good one!”

            “Okay so uh a cabbage merchant was selling cabbages in a battle arena and suddenly, one of the attacks cuts a cabbage he was about to sell to this one guy in half. And the customer said,” Eren laughed so hard he couldn’t get out the punchline.

            “Eren I swear if this is what I think it is,” Armin started.

            “He said-“Eren laughed even harder.

            “What’d he say?” Hanji asked.

            “LOOKS LIKE YOU’LL NEED A CABBAGE PATCH!” Eren yelled and pounded on his leg while tears threatened to spill and he laughed hard. Hanji was bent over laughing with Eren as the joke dawned on her but everyone else just looked at Eren with a look that clearly said _why? Why was that even funny? I can’t believe you._

            “Do you have any others Eren?” Hanji asked when she could catch her breath.

            “Yeah! Um what did the airbender say to the earthbending couple?” There was another collective plea of “no” but Eren still delivered the punchline.

            “YOU GUYS MUST HAVE A ROCKY RELATIONSHIP!” he yelled again and Hanji burst into tears and laughter.

            “Eren please shut up,” Levi groaned.

            “Why did the firebender go to the healer?” Eren continued, ignoring Levi’s request. Hanji was still laughing too hard to reply so she merely shrugged her shoulders. “HE WAS TOO HOT!” This time Sasha and Connie broke and started laughing along with a few murmured laughs came from the other train passengers who were in their car so Eren continued on.

            “Why did the waterbender’s master pace outside the healing hospital?” Hanji managed a wheezy ‘why’ and Eren yelled out the punchline again. “HE ACCIDENTALLY PUT THEM IN THE _ICE-_ C-U. GET IT? THE ICU- _ICE_ -C-U!” Eren couldn’t contain his own laughter anymore and tears began to flow freely down his face while he laughed. Hanji fell out of her seat and Sasha and Connie leaned on each other for support. The rest of the train began laughing at the display and someone actually shouted ‘Nice jokes!’ at Eren. Mikasa and Armin were cracking grins while Levi merely smirked.  

            A little girl with bangs hiding her eyes walked up to Eren with doll and bag in her hand as Eren cooled down from laughing so hard. “Excuse me are you Mr. Eren Jaeger?” she asked but she pronounced his last name wrong.

            Eren greeted the little girl and crouched down to her size. “In a matter of fact I am but its Jaeger with a –y sound okay? Can I help you with something?”

            “Aren’t you the Avatar?” she asked politely but the four little words were loud enough for everyone to hear. Every pair of eyes turned to face Eren and he laughed again to himself.

            “Yes I am. Can I help you?”

            “I was visiting my dad and he gave me this book to read on the train,” she said while digging around her bag for the book. “Only thing is that I can’t read real well but my mom is at the station waiting for me so she can’t read it to me. Could you read it to me please?”

            “Okay, I’d love to! But you got to tell me one thing though.” The girl nodded. “Do you have a guardian on this train?”

            “Yup! It’s my big bro but he got put in another train car. I’m alright on my own though. I’m eight years old so I can do a lot of grown up things.” She took the book out and held it out to Eren. Or at least where she thought Eren was.

            “Uh you might want to brush some hair out of your face because I’m over here,” Eren said clearly concerned about the girl.

            “Oh sorry!” The girl turned towards the voice and accidentally hit Eren’s cheek with the book. “I’m blind you see so sometimes it’s hard for me to see where a person is.” Eren knit his brows but shrugged his shoulders and pulled the girl onto his lap.

            “No problem,” he said cheerily. “You ready to listen?” The girl nodded her head aggressively and Eren began to read. It wasn’t a long story but it took the rest of the train ride to the middle ring’s train station. The story was about a young blind earthbender who could see her environment by feeling the vibrations in the ground. The character was misunderstood by her family however so she ran away to train the Avatar and become the greatest earthbender in the world.

            “I want to be just like her when I grow up!” the girl said when Eren finished the story. “That’s how I try to see ‘cause I’m an earthbender! Only my sensing isn’t so great yet so I only get fuzzy feelings.”

            “If you’re blind, then how did you recognize me?” Eren asked perplexed.

            “Well when you met the Earth King, my dad took me to meet you! I felt your footsteps and weight so when you got on the train, I remembered where I had felt that before!” The little girl began to swing her small legs while she bounced up and down on his lap. The train slowed to a stop and she jumped off Eren’s lap. ”Thank you Mr. Avatar! I’m going to go find my big bro and tell him that I met you today and you read me my story!” She bowed respectfully towards Eren and ran to where the sliding doors were going to open.

            “Hey,” Eren whispered to a guard who was standing nearby. “Could you do me a favor and escort her to her brother? I don’t want anything to happen to her on the station.” The guard nodded and approached the girl. She explained to the little girl that she would help her find her brother and the girl slipped her hand in the guard’s before the doors opened and then walked out. A few passengers got off the train while some came aboard but most stayed on.

            “Who knew you were so good with kids Eren?” Sasha cried out as she dug around for a piece of food in her own bag. “That was so kind!”

            “Well I just did what any other person would do,” Eren replied with a shrug. “I like to help people out.”

-X-

            Long and almost pointless. That was Eren’s response to the journey to the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. At first he was so energetic to see the world around him but now he slumped against Hanji, drifting in and out of sleep. He didn’t have the energy to keep cracking jokes and he had incredibly shitty hours of sleep in the past two weeks. Just as he managed to sleep for three blissful minutes, Hanji shot up and Eren’s head was jerked upwards.

            “We’re here!” Hanji cried. Eren cracked his eyes open a crack and sighed when he saw the lights signaling the outer wall. A male guard sitting across from Hanji stood up and addressed the group.

            “We’ll escort you to the wagon waiting outside and then we’ll be on our way to the next town over.” Hanji nodded and swatted at Levi’s shoulder who had also fallen asleep. He jerked awake and grabbed Hanji’s hand before becoming aware to his surroundings.

            “Hanji you will get hurt one of these days,” Levi promised.

            “Well it’s not today!” she said with a smile. “Anyways let’s go; I really want to get off the train.” The group of tired beings all unloaded from the train and walked through the busy station despite the late hour. They all clambered into the wagon and fell asleep on one another until the morning. The first day was over.

            Eren woke up to Hanji’s loud moaning and he joined her in groaning. “Hanji, what the hell? You woke me up.”

            “I don’t feel well-“she whined loudly. Levi immediately shot up and physically turned Hanji to the window.

            “Not again. You are _not_ going to get sick on me again,” he ordered. “Just look at a fixed point. Look at the mountain or something and try to contain your vomit.”

            “I’m not going to throw up,” Hanji protested before she began to dry heave out the window. “Okay maybe I am. Anyone have a bag they’re not using?”

            “Are you okay Hanji? Was it something you ate?” Eren asked.

            “No, she just gets sick after traveling by horse after a while,” Levi answered.

            “I think we’re- _heave-_ going to reach a town soon,” Hanji managed. “I can- _heave-_ see some buildings.”

            “That’ll be nice to have some food that isn’t from the dining hall,” Armin muttered as he too awoke.

            “Okay then. We’ll make a quick stop since you guys want to eat,” Levi said before sticking his head out of the opposite window and shouting to their driver the change of direction.

            Once again, as excited and nervous Eren had been at the start of the journey he was now incredibly bored. It would take them two weeks to reach the tip of the Earth Kingdom and it was boring as fuck. Each day they would sleep in the wagon or in an inn in a village they passed through and talk to each other, stopping only for bathroom breaks or eating breaks. Levi had taken to simply knocking Hanji out whenever she felt like vomiting for the sake of the group.

            It was a long and grueling fourteen days but they soon made it to the last town in the Earth Kingdom’s southern border- a place named Chin Village where Eren wasn’t that popular and they had to keep restraining Mikasa. After a few days of hostility, the group packed up their things and left to camp while waiting for the boat to arrive. It finally arrived around noon of their first day camping outside of Chin Village and the group couldn’t have been happier. They loaded up all their belongings and sailed off with hopes high for their success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 39 might be up tomorrow or sometime throughout the week since I have a two week break from hell!!! The tag "fic: My Bending Master" is being a bit of an ass to me and it doesn't show me any posts so if you happen to post something for the fic, please also tag it "chibinico", thanks!
> 
> Thanks for kudos/comments/hits! I love you all!


	39. The Boat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is on the boat to go to the Southern Water Tribe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WooHoo updates! Sorry in advance for so much dialogue! Like seriously they talk a lot. 
> 
> Also big thanks to those who started reading Meet Your Daughter! Chapter 2 is out and about!
> 
> Enjoy this update and FINALLY the words for this arc are starting to flow so it shouldn't be as shitty as i thought it'd be!

            “CONNIE!” Sasha roared. “Give me my moon peach this instant!”

            “Come and get it!” Connie retorted.

            “Connie just give it back. It’s not yours,” Armin pleaded.

            Eren and Mikasa were just sitting down, enjoying the warm sun and relaxing while Armin, Sasha, and Connie ran around the ship; Sasha set on catching Connie and forcibly taking her food back, Connie intending to outrun her and eat the moon peach by himself, and Armin, finally spent from trying to catch the other two, who wanted to try and stop their fighting.

            “You done Armin?” Eren asked coyly.

            “Shove it Eren,” Armin wheezed. “If you guys bothered to get off your asses and helped me, we could’ve gotten them to calm down and stop their fighting.”

            “It was pointless from the beginning Armin”, Mikasa replied. “And Eren, you should put on another layer. We’re going to the South Pole.”

            “Exactly. The _South_. Everything is warm in the South so I don’t need another layer,” Eren justified.

            “Is that Jaeger Logic?” Armin asked and Mikasa tried to stifle a laugh.

            “What’s Jaeger Logic?” Eren countered.

            “Stupid logic,” Armin replied.

            “Wow, you’re being an ass. _Both_ of you,” Eren retorted with a glare towards both Mikasa and Armin who were laughing aloud.

            “You can’t exactly blame them now can you?” Eren turned his head and saw Hanji and Levi emerging from the cockpit and onto the top deck. “That is stupid logic. Put a fucking coat on Eren.”

            “And become Captain Furry? No thanks Levi,” Eren replied as he laughed at Levi’s outfit. He looked like a small version of Hanji, wearing a giant fur-filled blue coat that covered his hands and trailed over his feet. It was obviously too large on him but Levi just crossed his arms and glared at Eren.

            “Such a smartass but not a smart mind. The South Pole is still cold as fuck Eren so when you start sneezing because you’re unable to listen to others, I will be warm and toasty,” Levi retorted. Hanji laughed along with Armin and Mikasa at their bickering. Just then, Connie and Sasha ran across the deck again but this time Sasha sunk to the floor in defeat and let out a wail.

            “GIVE IT BACK CONNIE!” she cried and a tear escaped her eye. Levi raised an eyebrow and spoke up.

            “Connie what are you doing?” Levi asked.

            Connie stopped when he saw that Levi was talking to him and saluted him. “She has five more stored away! I saw them in her stuff!”

            “Did you ask?” Hanji interrupted.

            “No.”

            “Ask her and see then. Sometimes people just don’t like having their things taken,” Hanji replied with a smile.

            “Fine but I doubt it’ll work.” Connie walked back to where Sasha was sitting on the floor, trying not to cry. “May I have this moon peach?”

            Sasha looked up at Connie in amazement and instantly stopped crying. In fact, she drew herself together and wiped her eyes before raising her hand and slapping Connie across the face. The sound drew everyone’s attention and they all looked questioningly at Sasha.

            “That’s for you being a complete ASS to me! But go ahead and eat it,” she replied. Hanji laughed at Sasha’s response as Levi just rolled his eyes.

            “Okay you shits, settle down,” Levi declared. “I just got back from speaking with the captain of the ship. We should be arrive by tomorrow morning so I want everyone to get to sleep early tonight. When we arrive, best behavior and no complaining. We are not going to be staying overnight so today will be our last day in the physical world. Tomorrow is the solstice and we’re probably going to be in battle tomorrow once we cross through the portal so make today count.”

            At Levi’s words, the happy, carefree environment the group worked so hard to achieve came tumbling down. They had responsibilities, a mission, to execute knowing full well that it was a serious possibility that one of them might not return. Eren gazed out over the water, lost in thought, as the rest of the group went silent. This had been the most fucked up year for him. He lost his mother, his father returned to him, he found out that he was the Avatar, and he became a member of the Survey Corps. But he also met Levi. And Petra and the others. And the Earth King, Sasha and Connie, Marco, Hanji… It was if for almost every wrong, there was a tiny right that made everything okay. And he accepted that. So Eren began to laugh.

            At first it was only a chuckle but soon Eren was laughing hard with tears beading at the corners of his eyes.

            “Uh Eren,” Mikasa hesitantly started.

            “I-I’m fine,” he interrupted while breathing heavily. “It’s just that, this year has been basically shitting on us the entire way since May. But you know what they say right? It’s the little victories that count. And I just realized that none of this, none of us would be here if it wasn’t for that day in May. If Shiganshina wasn’t destroyed, we’d all be at home right now and I’d have no idea that I was the Avatar and Sasha and Connie would’ve been dead and I would have never met Levi…or Hanji,” Eren quickly added before anyone could notice his pause. “So for all the fucked up shit, there was always like a small victory from it.  And I’m so fucking thankful for that because I never realized how much I needed all of you until I met all of you. And if one of us doesn’t make it out, then you know in advance my thanks to you.” Eren laughed again and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Look at me,” he sniffed, “I’m such a sap. Excuse me a minute.” Eren quickly stood and left his spot on the ground to find a place to be alone. He walked to the back of the deck and stood at the railing, staring at where the low sun and wake of the boat met in the distance.

            “Hey Mom,” Eren whispered out to the sea. “How’s it been? I’ve mastered all the elements except for fire now. I know you’d say I’m working too hard but it’s worth it right? I miss you a lot every day. You’d like the Survey Corps I think but you probably wouldn’t want to stay underground for all that time. I’ve met so many people and I’ve helped so many people. I finally feel like I’m doing something right.

            “You probably could tell but I guess I should tell you I’m gay. I know that stuff like that never mattered to you, you loved me however I was but I have an almost-kind of-boyfriend now. He wants to wait until I’m eighteen to be public about our relationship but he’s so incredible that I’m okay with that. He’s the light of my life, my own personal sun who makes me so happy. He lit a fire in my chest and now if it’s not burning brightly, I feel empty and hollow inside. I’d wait a thousand years, a thousand lives, to be with him because he’s worth it. I haven’t told him this yet, but I love him, more than he’d ever know. He has a foul personality though, and mouth like a sailor’s,” Eren chuckled to himself. “But he’s also a midget with a big heart and a cleaning problem though he won’t admit either of those things.”

Eren chuckled again but then stayed silent as a chilly breeze blew through him. He shivered and a small part of him wished he had just listened to Levi and had taken a winter jacket. Too late now he figured; that and his pride would be hurt if he went back. Suddenly, he felt a pair of warm hands ease a blanket onto his shoulders. Eren immediately embraced the warmth and shrunk his body into the blanket before turning to see who it was.

            “Are you alright?” Levi asked, adding fuel to the burning fire in Eren’s chest.

            “I’m alright. Just too much pent up emotion I guess,” Eren replied as he grasped the blanket around his shoulders. Levi’s arms slid around his arms around Eren’s waist and rested his head in between Eren’s shoulder blades.

            “Are you coming to bed now? And no I’m not inviting you to sleep with me.”

            Eren pouted for a minute before asking Levi another question. “What time is it?”

            “Nearly nine,” Levi replied in a muffled voice. “You’ve been out here for a while.”

            “Shit I meant to stay like ten minutes tops! Damn it,” Eren huffed. “But sleep does sound really inviting right now.” Levi released his grip on Eren’s waist in favor for his hand as they walked back to the cabins to sleep for the night.

-X-

            The next morning crept up on everyone except Hanji. So naturally, she woke everyone up an hour before they needed to be up. She flounced her way into every room and opened the blinds, sending the sun’s never setting rays on to their faces.

            “Hanji,” Levi growled as he sat up in his top bunk bed. “What the hell are you doing?”

            “I thought I’d improvise daylight savings! So get out of bed; we’re wasting daylight!” she squealed.

            “The sun never fucking sets here so we’re not wasting anything!” Levi shouted but Hanji merely cackled and adjusted her goggles before fleeing the room. Eren groaned in the bed underneath Levi’s.

            “Levi stop yelling; it’s too early for this shit.”

            “Sorry,” Levi huffed.

            “It’s okay babe,” Eren sighed. The cabin was filled with silence for two completely awkward minutes as Eren realized what he had just said and his face began to burn. Levi sat still in his bed, eyebrows raised and a pink blush lightly dusting his features. “I meant, uh! I’m going to shower!” Eren shouted before grabbing his towel and dashing into their own personal bathroom, locking the door behind him. After hearing the water turn off after about ten minutes, Levi regained control of his body and swiftly climbed off his bed.

            “Oi brat! If you call me babe, does that mean you’ll stop calling me Heichou?” he asked through the door. Eren opened the door and curls of steam came out of the room along with Eren.

            “Depends. Will you stop calling me brat?” he asked cheekily while rummaging around his bag for his symbolic “Avatar clothes” that people tended to recognize him the most in.

            “Hell no,” Levi replied with ease as he began to turn on the shower water and strip. “It’s a term of endearment.”

            “Well so is Heichou,” Eren stated while he pulled on a long sleeved white shirt and pants before putting on his dark green tunic and new pair of black snow boots. “So I’m going to use both eventually. Alright I’m going up for breakfast.”

            “Okay see you there dumbass,” Levi called from the shower. Eren sighed and shook his head with a smile as he left the room. He headed for the galley where Mikasa and Armin most likely would be. And sure enough, once Eren climbed the long flight of stairs, both his friend and sister were sitting crossed legged on the floor eating a few berries. “Hey guys!” Eren spoke loudly with a wave.

            “Hey Eren! You ready for today?” Armin asked excitedly while munching on some of Mikasa’s purple berries.

            “I’m excited! I really can’t wait to see the Southern Water Tribe,” Eren exclaimed. “Hanji told me about it before once but maybe it’s changed since she left.”

            “Do you think there’s a palace?” Mikasa asked.

            “I think there might be. The Northern Water Tribe has one,” Armin supposed.

            “Do you guys have all your belongings in order?” Eren questioned.

            “My backpack is full of everything we could possibly need,” Mikasa replied matter-of-factly.

            “Mine has lots of medical supplies because something tells me that I’ll probably need them,” Armin answered while scratching his cheek with one finger.

            “Mine has what I’ll need: food, water, clothes, and more food.” Eren answered. Mikasa opened her mouth to scold Eren on his packing choices but didn’t get the chance once Connie burst into the room with a grin on his face.

            “We’re here!” he shouted before running out of the galley and onto the top deck. The trio quickly shoved their remaining breakfast into their backpacks and ran to catch up with Connie. When they emerged into the sunlight, it took a moment from the glare of the white snow and ice to dissipate and allow them to see. And all their eyes all widened as they stared in shock.

            The Southern Water Tribe was there in front of them, with Titans destroying the once gleaming tribe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 40 (holy shit) Tuesday!  
> Tell me what you thought or what you think might happen! I'd love to know!! 
> 
> Thanks for kudos/comments/hits everyone! You make my day!!


	40. Follow Your Orders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi makes an order that Eren can't follow but it'll cost him more than he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is soo late!! My laptop decided not to work for hours and then when I finally could write, I was drawing a blank for this chapter. Ah technology, you love it and hate it right? The chapter's kinda short but a lot does happen. 
> 
> And if I may ask, while you read ask yourself this question: What would I do?
> 
> Enjoy!!

Eren, Mikasa, Connie, Sasha, Armin, Levi, and Hanji all stood on the top deck with wide eyes. This wasn’t supposed to happen. The Southern Water Tribe was supposed to be fine with no Titans attacking. They were supposed to be untouchable.

            “Where are the backups?” Armin asked, breaking the tense silence. “We should’ve had a team down here.”

            “Forget about backup, what are we going to do?” Connie spoke in a whisper. “I mean we have to help them but there’s so many of them…”

            Levi turned from his spot on the deck to face Hanji. She faced him with a grim expression and Levi remembered the words of warning Erwin had given him before they left.

            _Whatever it takes._

“We’re not going to do anything. We have to go to the portal,” Levi ordered, his face schooled back into an impassive expression.

            “What the fuck are you talking about?” Eren demanded. “There are innocent people dying. We have to help them get to safety.” The rest of Squad Levi nodded in agreement with Eren but Levi stood his ground.

            “You don’t understand. From _here_ it already looks bad. When we get there, it’ll be at least ten times worse. Hanji and I have orders from Erwin to do whatever it takes to get to that portal in once piece so we will do _whatever it takes,_ Levi glanced at Hanji and he saw her nod, understanding his hidden code.

            “I can’t believe you right now,” Eren whispered. “I trusted you and this…”

            “They’re right,” Armin said. Eren turned to glare at his friend but Armin tended to wear his emotion, much like Eren. It was written all over his face that he disagreed with what was being ordered but he understood why it was being ordered. “We have a team of seven. Seven people aren’t going to be enough to kill that many Titans. Eren is our ace in the hole but we can’t rely on him to be strong enough to help liberate the South Pole and lead us into the Spirit World to where we need to be. We just don’t have the man power to interfere,” he finished, defeated.

            “Maybe Armin is right Eren,” Mikasa started.

            “NO! I’m not going to follow an order that puts innocent people to death!”

            “Don’t you get it? If we go through the portal first and finish the mission, we’ll be saving a lot more than just a few thousand innocent lives. We’ll save the rest of the air nomad population! This isn’t up for debate Eren,” Levi shouted in a final tone.

            “Eren please,” Mikasa said in a quiet tone. Eren scanned the faces of the ones closest to him. They all seemed to want to disobey Levi’s order but they couldn’t bring themselves to do it because they knew it was correct. Even through Levi’s usual expressionless face he saw the traces of regret in his eyes.

            The decision wasn’t his. But he had no choice but to bear the responsibility and make sure that it was followed.

            “Fine,” Eren said shakily. “Fine I’ll do it.” The boat suddenly lurched to the side and slammed into the icy plane surrounding the tribe walls.

            “Captain Levi!” shouted a running ship worker. “The boat’s stuck. I’m afraid we can’t take you any further.” Levi nodded and turned to face everyone with a dark expression.

            “Make sure you have all your supplies then meet me on the ice on this side of the ship,” he ordered and without a moment’s hesitation, he vaulted over the railing if the ship and landed on his feet. Eren followed him next with Mikasa and Armin while Hanji, Sasha, and Connie went back to get last minute supplies. Once landed, Eren stomped over to Levi.

            “What’s the matter with you? How can you follow those fucked up orders?” he persisted in a harsh whisper.

            “Eren we are done talking about this. Please, calm down and listen to me or I’ll have to do something I really don’t want to do.” He reached out to hold Eren’s hand but Eren pulled away and left him. Levi made his choices so that he wouldn’t regret them but he could already feel that he had made the wrong decision.

            Hanji and the others on board all jumped over the railing and landed but Connie slipped on the ice and tripped Sasha. “For fuck’s sake,” Levi sighed. “Let’s move out guys. Hanji, Eren, make a cloud of snow to disguise us.” Temporarily putting his anger behind him, Eren nodded and ran to the back of the group while Hanji went to the front.

            “Stay close together!” Hanji shouted as she began to move her arms in circular motions, swirling the snow from the ground to above all their heads. Eren matched Hanji’s movements and connected the swirling clouds of snow to fully cloak them all. They walked quickly and purposefully to the tribal walls.

            “Hanji how do we reach the portal?” Levi shouted now that the sound of attacking Titans covered their voices.

            “It’s in the center of the city. The walls aren’t that thick; with our combined efforts, we can break through anywhere,” Hanji replied.

            “Here’s as good a place as any. We are going to try to follow Hanji without being seen by Titans or civilians, understood?” Levi commanded. His squad and Eren nodded, faces distraught and angered. “On three, we break the wall Hanj. One.”

            A scream pierced the air.

            “Two,” Levi said through grit teeth.

            The ground trembled underneath their feet as a snow building collapsed.

            “Three!” With the energy of his pent up anger and frustration, Levi unleashed his fire power on the wall. Hanji joined him by thrusting her wrists out in front of her and pushing in the snow that Levi’s fire didn’t get to. An average sized hole opened up and Levi went in first. The inside might have once looked beautiful but now the tribe was in ruins. Hanji climbed in after him and gasped.

            “Shit! It’s worse than we thought,” she cursed. “Let’s go!” Levi and the others followed behind Hanji through nooks and crannies of destroyed streets and homes. Along the way, they passed screaming mothers looking for their children and survivors trying to flee the walls. Levi grit his teeth and clenched his fists tighter with each passing person. But when they passed a Titan walking towards a mother trying to get her three young children to safety, Levi knew that there was only one outcome.

            “Fuck! I can’t do this Levi!” Eren shouted before dashing off to help the mother.

            “Eren!” Levi shouted but his warning fell on deaf ears. “Damn it all to hell!” He turned and faced the group. “Help the fucking civilians but don’t put yourself in their position trying to be a goddamn hero! GO!” The group immediately headed out in teams of two with the exception of Mikasa and Levi, who headed out to help Eren.

            “What was with the fucked up orders Captain?” Mikasa shouted as they both ran to meet Eren.

            “They weren’t mine,” Levi replied as he ducked from a flying piece of ice. “We need to focus on getting Eren,” he stated, effectively finishing any chance for any more talk.

______________

            Eren ran towards the mother as fast as he could. He wasn’t going to let a family die for the sake of ‘following orders’. He was the fucking Avatar and if he didn’t help those people who would? She seemed to be fairing okay with two babies in her arms and a five year old behind her. “They’re going to make it,” Eren whispered to himself as he ran. At that moment he swore that he’d never doubt the power of jinxes because as soon as the words left his lips, the five year old twisted their ankle and an audible snap was able to be heard. The mother turned back with eyes wide in fear, knowing she couldn’t carry them all to safety. “Shit shit shit shit shit shit,” Eren chanted as he practically flew to the mother. He picked up the child and started to run to the nearest snow wall. What he would give for some help.

            “Eren get the brat to safety! We’ll distract the Titan,” shouted a voice that Eren couldn’t help but grin at.

            “Yes Heichou!” he shouted back as Levi and Mikasa sprinted past him.

            “Who are you?” the mother shouted about the noise as she followed Eren to the wall.

            “It doesn’t matter,” Eren answered as he came to a stop. He sat the kid down on the snow as they cried loudly and faced the wall. He tensed his fingers and brought his arms together and formed a circle, palms out. He tensed his fingers once more and froze a circle in the wall. Then with a forceful punch, he blasted the ice out of the wall with an airbending gust. He grabbed the five year old and put them in the other side of the wall. The mother followed soon after, the worried lines apparent on her face. “Be safe,” Eren cautioned. “I won’t be there to save you next time.” Satisfied with his job, Eren began to run to wear Mikasa and Levi were fighting a losing battle. Since they were both firebenders, their attacks did little to damage the Titan.

            While running to them, Eren created sharp, frozen, plates of ice and began to throw them at the Titan’s direction. The Titan stopped its barrage for a moment to look at its torn skin so Levi grabbed both Eren and Mikasa and sprinted back to where the group had split. He ducked them into the remains of a house but he could feel the oncoming footsteps of the Titan moving to kill them. “Fuck. I don’t know how to get us out of this,” Levi said frantically as his eyes jumped from place to place, looking for some strategy. But even Levi couldn’t find an exit. The house he ducked them in was on a one way road, leading only to the Titan. Behind it was a wall too thick for the three of them to attempt to break and on either side was icy destruction. “We’re screwed, damn it.”

            Eren began to shake with fear as he realized that this could be the end for him, for Mikasa, and for Levi. The loud thumps from the impending Titan were nearly impossible to ignore and the tension in the air steadily increased with each step.

            _Thump_

            “I’m sorry Levi,” Eren whispered. “This is my fault.”

            _Thump_

“It’s not your fault Eren. I’ve changed too much; I couldn’t do whatever it took,” Levi said, disappointment coloring his voice.

            _Thump_

“If we close our eyes,” Mikasa whispered, “it’ll feel like a dream.” Her voice wavered slightly.

            _Thump. Thump._

The Titan had arrived.

“Everyone get down,” Levi hissed suddenly yanking Eren and Mikasa underneath the window pane beside them. The world went silent save for the rugged sounds of their uneven breathing as a dark, black, misty hand crept through the window. The Titan’s hand moved about the room, trying to find its prey. It knocked over a table and some bookstands but it did not touch the trio. As it made its way back to the window, it began to creep closer to Levi and the two he held. HE could feel both Eren and Mikasa tremble with fear as the hand ghosted their faces. Levi moved his hands to cover the sound of their breathing and pulled them back ever so slightly, just out of the Titan’s reach. The hand stroked the skin of Levi’s hand over Eren’s mouth before it pulled away slowly and back through the window.

_Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump._

As the sound of the Titan’s footsteps grew fainter, Levi let go of Eren and Mikasa’s mouths. Mikasa managed to regulate her breathing though her eyes were wide with fear and adrenaline. Eren however, felt like he couldn’t get enough oxygen into his lungs as he trembled violently. He was gasping for air and clutching onto Levi’s hand as if his life depended on it.

“Eren. Eren, snap out of it,” Levi shouted but the concern in his voice was clear. “Calm down Eren. It’s over, you’re okay. Deep breaths.” Eren’s trembling slowed slightly as Levi continued to talk. Levi reached down to grasp Eren’s tightly clenched hand. He gently pried Eren’s fingers away from his palm and intertwined them with his own pale fingers. “It’s going to be okay,” Levi said firmly. He squeezed his Eren’s hand gently before easing their fingers apart to check the window for any sign of Hanji or the others.

Levi sat up onto his knees and looked out the window and he lost control of his emotions. His eyes were wide with fear and his mouth hung open. He felt and looked _terrified_ by what was in front of him.

The eyes were already staring at the window, as if waiting for Levi to appear. The Titan looked familiar to Levi. It had a female like black, smoky body and messy blonde hair.

_Annie._

But Levi knew the moment a smile crept onto the Titan’s face that it was not the same spirit he had met months ago. His feeling was confirmed when Annie swung her Titan hand over the side of the house, destroying their only exit. “Shit!” Levi swore. Annie swung her hand down again but this time, Levi tried to block the attack with a shield of fire. “Mikasa! Get Eren out of here now!” he ordered. Mikasa nodded and grabbed Eren from the ground. She sprinted as fast as she could to the highest point of the ruined house and jumped onto the roof of the next building. But before she could get far, Annie swung her right leg and destroyed the house’s foundation, making its walls and Mikasa collapse.

As Mikasa and Eren fell, she turned her body over his to protect him. “Stay safe Eren,” she whispered into her brother’s ear as a chunk of ice fell and bashed her head, knocking her unconscious with a nasty gash on her face above her right cheek bone.

“MIKASA!” Eren shouted. He clung on to her body as they fell and took most of the damage with a grunt. He placed her down and stood up wearily. He immediately swayed and he looked down. A large icicle had impaled his left side, right underneath his ribcage. “Ah shit. Levi’s going to kill me,” he said in a daze as the first waves of pain began to make themselves known.

“EREN MOVE! Levi shouted as he ran to him. He swore again as he saw Eren’s injury. But no matter how fast Levi could run, Annie’s Titan form hand would reach the Avatar before him. And it did. With ease, the Titan grabbed Eren by the leg and dangled him up. Levi pushed himself hard and with a last ditch effort, he launched himself into the air to grab Eren’s hand.

But he was too late. Levi’s fingertips grazed Eren’s for only a second before the gap widened between them. Levi fell to the ground moments later with a hard crash but it didn’t matter as he looked up. Eren had a look of pure terror on his face as Annie opened her mouth and placed Eren on her tongue before shutting her mouth with a distinct snap. Levi’s eyes were wide with shock, terror, and anger as he watched Annie stand up and begin to sprint to the center of the city. To the portal, he realized a second later.

Annie was going to bring the Avatar to the Titans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 41 is probably going to be out Saturday (if I have internet, I'll be away). 
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos/hits/comments!! This was an interesting chapter to write, I hope you liked it!


	41. Annie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is Annie playing at? The answer might surprise you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's got two thumbs and is the worst updater ever? THIS LAD!! I'm so sorry guys about this. I had planned for this chapter to be hella long but then It started getting too long and then I was drawing new art, and actually doing schoolwork and you know, not procrastinating my actual responsibilities.  
> Either way, that's no excuse for my slacking so please without further ado, here is the first chapter of three that was supposed to be one giant one. 
> 
> Enjoy!

            Levi wasted no time after he fell to the ground. He grabbed Mikasa’s unconscious form and began to run after Annie. He shot up a signal flare blast to Hanji and continued to lumber forward.

            “Levi!” He didn’t stop running but Levi glanced up to the source of the voice and was he ever so thankful to see Hanji. She was bending a vortex of water and maneuvering with ease around obstructions. “What happened? You sent me a distress signal flare.”

            “Eren’s been captured by Annie, that female Titan spirit. She’s going to take him through the portal and we must follow her. Where are the others?” he barked as he noticed that Hanji was alone.

            “I sent them ahead to the portal in case. Is Mikasa down?”

            “Yes! She was protecting Eren and got hit by a chunk of ice,” Levi shouted as he continued to run at his fastest despite Mikasa’s heavy body. As they continued to run, or in Hanji’s case surf, to the spirit portal, Hanji shouted.

            “I see it! I can see the portal! And it’s already open; that must be how the Titans are getting in. We need to close it!”

            “Hanji, listen to me!” Levi ordered. “I need you to launch Mikasa and me to the portal. I'm going to try to get Eren before we cross over. Can you do that?”

            “Wait!” Both Levi and Hanji’s eyes widen in shock as Eren suddenly appeared before them. “This is just a spiritual projection so I don’t have time to waste. Leave Annie to me and get through the portal. I know a way that I can free her temporarily from Titan control.” Eren suddenly flickered before coming back. “Get through the portal and I swear I’ll meet you there.” Eren turned his attention to Levi briefly before flickering again. “Stay safe Levi,” _flicker_. “I” _flicker_ “love you.” Eren’s form flickered once more before he flickered out permanently. Levi grit his teeth and willed his eyes not to become misty.

            “Hanji, throw me,” Levi demanded. Hanji nodded and stopped moving her vortex. She made a series of motions and the snow beneath Levi’s feet grew stiff before it launched him through the air. The wind blew through his hair and he squinted his eyes to see better. As he flew through the air, multiple Titans reached up with their hands to try and swipe him down but Levi dodged them all effortlessly. As he and Mikasa began to arc down, Levi caught sight of his squad waving to him frantically near a large bright light: the portal. But there were still three buildings he had to get over before he could land at the portal and as Levi continued to fall closer to the ground, he knew that he wouldn’t make it through without breaking through some houses first. With a grunt, Levi managed to kick his right leg up into the air and spin quickly, creating a barrier of fire to help him melt and smash through the walls of each house.

            But it wasn’t enough.

            Levi found himself swearing and clinging onto Mikasa’s limp body as he broke through the first two houses and slammed into the third without any protection. Miraculously they broke through the final wall of the third house and managed to roll into the ground in a heap and mess of limbs.

            “Captain Levi!” Sasha cried as she made her way over to their captain lying on the ground and breathing heavily.

            “Mikasa!” Armin shrieked. He ran to his friend and tried to lift her but he couldn’t even budge the stronger girl.

            “Everyone into the portal!” Hanji shouted as she jumped to the ground. “Don’t worry about Eren, we have a plan to get him but for now, everyone goes in! Sasha help Armin get Mikasa; I’ll get Levi.” Immediately Sasha left Levi on the ground and helped Armin who was struggling in vain. As they crossed over through the portal, it glowed a bright golden color with each passing person. Hanji quickly turned her head and grabbed Levi, who had accomplished being able to sit up on his own. “Get off your ass Levi,” she growled to him. “I know damn well that you aren’t actually injured that bad; you’re stalling to help Eren. You need to trust Eren. He’ll be fine because he’s a stubborn shit and won’t die that easily. Now let’s go; show him you love him by trusting him,” she muttered in his ear as she tried to get him to stand.

            Levi clicked his tongue and growled before standing up on his own and running over to the portal with Hanji. “You better fucking be right,” he grumbled as they jumped through the portal. This portal was different that the last Levi had gone through. When they jumped, he certainly didn’t expect for the ground to be at the same level as it was in the physical world. As he and Hanji landed, he scanned the environment around them. Sasha, Connie, Armin, and Mikasa were all spread out on the in front of them, there was a dark forest of mangled trees not too far away to the left, and to the right were a couple tall boulders. “Sasha, make a hill for us to hide behind that isn’t in front of the portal. We’re not leaving here without Eren.” She nodded and pulled herself from the ground. As she prepared the hill, Levi stared at the portal waiting for a certain bright eyed boy to appear.

_Twenty minutes earlier…_

            Eren looked down to see a giant icicle take its home in his flesh, right below his ribcage on his left side. “Aw shit, Levi’s going to kill me,” he complained while feeling the steady stream of blood coming from the wound. Suddenly, his whole world was tilted upside down. He saw Levi sprinting to him and he tried to reach out to him. That would also be around the time that he realized that this Titan had him by the leg and had no intention of letting him go. As Eren watched Levi jump, he knew with a sinking feeling in his gut that they wouldn’t make it. And fuck his gut because it was right. Their fingertips brushed but Levi fell back to the earth as Eren was brought higher.

            Too high.

Titans kill people. So why wasn’t he dead yet? Eren was left with even more questions when he felt himself be lowered into the Titan’s mouth. Suddenly, the light was cut out and Eren looked above him, the Titan had closed their mouth. He was trapped with almost no bendables. Almost; he still had water. If he was able to freeze the Titan’s tongue, he would be able to escape when it opened its mouth instinctively. Eren took two steps back to ready himself but froze when his back touched something.

            He scrambled back as he looked into the face of a familiar girl. A girl with blonde hair in a messy bun and sad blue eyes. It was the girl from the cave when Eren had saved Levi. Annie. “What are you doing here? Did the titan get you too?” he whispered.

            “No Avatar Eren, I am this Titan. I need to talk to you before we get to the portal. Please just give me a moment to explain.” She rose her hands up, which were glowing a bluish tinge, in surrender and approached Eren. Every fiber in his being was screaming at him to run far away but Eren found himself moving towards the spirit.

            “Go ahead. We can talk,” Eren said truthfully.

            “Do you remember when I had attacked you the last time we met and you pressed your hands to my face? You did something to me and since then, I’ve been able to fight off whenever the Titans try to control me. I’ll offer you a deal: if you can do that to Reiner and Bertolt, I’ll show you where the Titans are using our portals to get into your world and help you take them out,” Annie’s face didn’t waver once as she made her proposal.

            “How can I trust you?” Eren asked.

            “You probably can’t but if it will make you feel better, I’ll submit myself to your will. If you wish I’ll also travel with you and act as your guide through the Spirit World. But if you don’t try, you’ll end up searching longer than you have the time for. I have information about the Titan’s final plans; I’ll tell you everything I know, but first you have to trust me.” Eren gritted his teeth. Annie’s plan was a good one and her offer was even better. He couldn’t turn down information that could potentially end this never ending battle with the Titans.

            “Deal. And I have an idea of how to get the others to trust you but we’ll have to do this my way, no exceptions,” Eren decided. Annie nodded and Eren continued. “I’m going to rip you from your Titan and we’ll fall back through the portal. That way, if I keep my hands on your face when we cross over, you won’t suddenly go Titan on us.”

            “How do you plan on ripping me from my Titan form?” Annie asked curiously.

            “I’m going to airbend you out first then jump after you. Show me where your body is since you’re only a projection of your spirit right now.” Annie began to walk back into the shadows of the back of her mouth until she stopped at the curve of the tongue.

            “It’s through there: the nape of my neck. Good luck Eren,” she announced before evaporating back. Eren waved in farewell before clearing his mind and detaching his spirit from his body. He projected his spirit, a trick Marco taught him, to Levi. To his surprise, it actually worked.

            “Wait! This is just a spiritual projection so I don’t have time to waste. Leave Annie to me and get through the portal. I know a way that I can free her temporarily from Titan control.” His projection could keep the increasing distance. It felt like a rubber band that was being stretched too far, he’s snap back soon. “I swear I’ll meet you on the other side. And Levi, I love you in case I don’t make it.”

            _Snap!_

            Eren’s spirit was thrown back into his body and he only hoped that Levi heard him through the end. Was he still pissed with the man? Very. But it wouldn’t change his feelings for him. Eren straightened up and glared at the back of Annie’s Titan throat. Blasting her out wouldn’t be easy, especially have limited resources but he’d have to try. He stuck his hands out in front of him and started to move them in circular motions, creating little whips of water. They were small but exactly what Eren needed to start hacking away at the back on Annie’s throat. The Titan howled and screamed in pain but Eren managed to tune it out. He slashed his arms and the water followed his commands, slicing through the misty body. After one deep slice, Eren hit his jackpot: he spotted an arm. He made an estimate of the rough shape of Annie’s body and continued to hack away. Slowly, he unveiled another arm, two legs, and a torso. Eren felt out of control as he carved Annie away from her Titan body and sunlight began to show through his cuts. He backed up in her mouth and gazed animalistic at his prey, no at Annie. Using a technique he hadn’t been taught, Eren propelled his body forward with air from his feet while simultaneously hitting the prey- _Annie-_ with forceful winds, tearing the skin apart. He spread his arms out and tensed his claws- no his fingers- as he pushed the limp body out of the Titan’s neck.

            A burst of sunlight temporarily blinded Eren but only for a moment. Soon after, Eren looked down to see a sphere of glowing, golden light. He angled himself and his catch to better fall through the portal, remembering how he transitioned the first time. Like he predicted, they fell through the portal like as if it wasn’t even there and landed on a roll. Eren’s prey flew off his shoulders and with a sickening thud a few feet from him while he himself landed on his back, arms spread wide and pain etched onto his face. They made it; now he just needed to find Levi-

            “Eren!” Eren turned his head to the side and watched as someone with blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes came running towards him. They were, they were… Who was that person? That person was… _trying to take his catch._ Eren balled his fists, ready to land a punch to the blonde running for him. But wait, wasn’t that Armin? Eren began to shake as he tried to sort his thoughts. Armin his good friend from Shiganshina? No, it couldn’t be. It was someone who was trying to take what he earned. He bared his fangs, wait didn’t he have teeth, and hissed at the blonde approaching. A woman with brown hair and goggles suddenly emerged from behind a hill along with others, and grabbed the blonde before they could advance.

            “No!” the woman cried. “Something’s not right. That isn’t Eren.” Eren, he heard. That name sounded familiar. Was it his? Probably not, he was a Titan now. Titan’s don’t get names. Wait, a Titan? Wasn’t he supposed to kill them all? His prey groaned to life next to Eren. Damn, he was going to eat them later. The prey rolled their head to face him and their face paled.

            “Shit. Eren, fight them. Fight it, Eren. Everything you’re thinking, it isn’t the real you. Fight them damn it; expel them from your mind!” they pleaded. What was his prey talking about? He was a Titan, right? Or was he…Eren? Yeah, he was Eren Jaeger. Suddenly, it felt like someone was trying to wedge Eren’s brain apart. He screamed and clutched at his head. He knew who he was so why was this voice telling him false information? Eren writhed from side to side as he tried to expel the voice from his mind.

            “GET OUT OF ME! LEAVE ME ALONE!” he cried. Abruptly, it felt as if Eren’s body was being torn into three parts: himself, another spirit, and that goddamn voice. He heard a familiar voice and his skin glowed blue briefly. Then it was peaceful.

            “He said leave him alone, filth. Go back to nothing,” Ilse said darkly. Eren scrambled to move away from Ilse with Annie’s help as he watched her hold something in her grip. A small thing really; it looked like a black snake that was trying to get back to Eren. But at Ilse’s touch, is began dissolving from its lower tail with a small yelp. It tried to strike Ilse with its fangs but was dissolved completely before it could reach her. Ilse clicked her tongue before she turned around to face Eren with a small smile. “You know Eren, you’ve really got to learn how to fight these things on your own. I might not want to help next time.” Eren sat with his mouth open, unable to say anything at what he just witnessed. So instead, he nodded dumbly and looked over to the others who had crowded behind the hill. Levi was staring at him, confusion in his features. Eren nodded to him and tried to stand. He fell back to the ground however, with a surprised expression until he looked down and saw the bleeding wound. Seconds later the pain registered with his mind and it felt like hell.

            “He needs help,” Levi barked, clearly worried. As if they were all in a trance, everyone suddenly jumped into action. Hanji released Armin and ran over to Eren, healing water already on her hands. Eren winced at the familiar feeling of the water healing his torn skin.

            “Where’s Mikasa?” he asked Levi who had come to squat next to Eren.

            “She’s fine. Hanji healed her injuries while we waited for you and now she’s resting. Probably a minor concussion but nothing too serious. Why is Annie with you?” Levi asked, getting straight to the point. He eyed the girl sorely, she had once been a friend but maybe she still was…

            “Annie is making a deal with me. If I help her find and free Bertolt and Reiner from Titan control like I did for her, she will tell me where the Titans are mainly located and their endgame plan,” Eren recited. He knew how important this deal was and he was not about to take no for an answer.

            “Fine. But how long is this going to take not to mention can we even trust her? We may not have supplies for that long a stay here,” Levi protested.

            “I thought you trusted me Levi,” Annie said quietly.

            “I did. Then I saw you try to kill Mikasa and I to get to Eren,” Levi said right back. “That wasn’t spirit Annie that was Titan Annie.” Annie looked down, ashamed and didn’t say anything more. “You can tell us your reasons later. Right now, we need to focus on closing the portal and finding a shelter. It looks like it’s getting dark.”

            Eren sat up as Hanji finished bandaging his wound. “I can close the portal. Here, help me up.” Levi offered Eren an arm which the later eagerly accepted. A second later, Eren was on his feet and using Levi as a crutch to walk over to the portal. “Levi? Why did you give that order?” Levi’s pace slowed slightly before resuming its normal walk but Eren noticed.

            “Before we left, Erwin gave Hanji and I an order that was to do whatever it took on this mission to succeed. Now looking back in hindsight, I see what he meant. Had I kept to my order, many people would’ve died but you and Mikasa wouldn’t been hurt. I can’t say Annie wouldn’t still interfere but things would have been different. I couldn’t though and now, we are paying a price. So in a way, I misunderstood my orders and gave you guys’ faulty ones because of that. Whatever it takes could mean losing a member or more but putting the sake of humanity before my own needs or wants.” Levi paused as they came up to the portal. “I’m sorry Eren, I made a bad decision and put you in danger.”

            “Hey,” Levi glanced up to see Eren smiling down at him. “Don’t shoulder this alone. I should not have run off without having a plan in mind. And you made a decision in a split second that would have to determine the lives of six other people. Someone once told me that you can never know how things might turn out so you should make your choices so that you didn’t regret them. We all make bad calls sometimes. I forgive you,” Eren replied gently before he untangled himself from Levi’s support. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and pressed his hand against the light of the portal. The spiritual energy surged within him, giving him positive energy.

            _“Is this why you called me Avatar Eren? To close this portal?”_ Eren’s eyes snapped open as he identified the voice. Rava.

            “Yes,” he whispered softly. “I need to close this portal so please, lend me your energy to do so.” He felt a cool shudder go through his veins. His eyes turned from their usual green-blue to the pale blue glow of an Avatar and the air stirred around him, ready to be bent to his will. The light from the portal seem to begin shrinking as Eren felt his own spiritual power rise, almost like he was absorbing it. The light continued to shrink down until it was only a few feet taller than Eren. It rounded itself out to be a hardened sphere, filled with swirling pools of energy, which you couldn’t past through.

            “Did you just…” Levi trailed off, in awe of Eren.

            “Yeah, it’s closed. We should start moving to find a place to set up for the night,” Eren said confidently. The two walked back to the small gathering of their friends. Mikasa was awake and propped up against Armin as he tried to coax her to drink some water. Annie was glaring at the once green but now black fields in the distance.

            “Avatar,” she called out. Eren and Levi both approached her and she turned. “We should be moving, not camping for the night. Titans aren’t mobile at night.” Both Eren and Levi raised their eyebrows.

            “Why?” Levi asked.

            “Titans need a source of light to be active, usually the sun. Since they are made of black spirit mist and fire, that fire needs to be strong. Levi you should know since you are a firebender that you are weaker in the suns absence, yes?” Levi nodded stiffly before he turned to inform Hanji of their plans. Annie gazed at his retreating back wistfully. “Why won’t he trust me?” she asked aloud.

            “Because you were a Titan only like half an hour ago who nearly swallowed me,” Eren answered bluntly. “You need to explain yourself as we travel as a group.” Annie nodded and began to pace. “Also, where are we going? I thought you didn’t know where Reiner and Bertolt were.”

            “I know where they are. I just can’t get them on my own. I’d be obliterated and that’ll cause a rip in our worlds. I’ll explain as we move but for now, you’ll have to trust me on where I lead you,” Annie partially explained.

            “Oi Eren,” Levi interrupted. “Mikasa wants to see you before we leave.” Eren nodded and excused himself from Annie, who resumed pacing under Levi’s watch. Eren walked down to his sister and friend and sat down with a plop.

            “Eren, are you hurt?” they both asked at the same time. Eren laughed and shook his head.

            “I’m fine. You should worry about yourself Mikasa. You are the one with a mild concussion. Can you stand? We are leaving soon,” Eren asked.

            “Of course I can stand,” Mikasa huffed. “Why are we leaving? It’s night, we should set up camp.”

            “Titans aren’t active at night so it’ll be safer for us to travel now.” Mikasa looked ready to protest against Eren as he offered her an arm, but was effectively silenced by Levi clearing his throat to address everyone.

            “Attention! We are moving out in a few minutes. We have a new objective to this mission: finding Annie’s friends Bertolt and Reiner?” Levi gestured to the newest member of the group who looked at them all with a disinterested stare. “This is Annie. She is a spirit who is controlled by Titans at times. She is going to travel with us. We are to trust her word and follow her until we find both men.” The moment Levi finished speaking, protests from everyone except Eren were heard.

            “Why would we follow a Titan?”

            “Shouldn’t we kill her?”

            “She tried to kill Eren! Twice!”

            “What’s with these stupid orders?! We’re not going to listen!”

            “OI!” Levi shouted over everyone. “Everyone is going to shut the fuck up right now and let me finish what I was saying, dammit. Those are the orders IF I decide to trust Annie. I already know her from a different experience so I can tell if she’s lying or not. She is going to explain herself front and center before we go, right now.” Annie widened her eyes and glared briefly at Levi before taking his place at the center of the group and beginning to speak.

            “My name is Annie Leonhart. I am a portal spirit that _was_ controlled by the Titans. I am free thanks to Eren. I met Levi back when he was accidentally dragged into the spirit world. At that time, I told him that if I could be freed from my burden, I’d help him in return to slow any Titan aggression towards the human world. Now that I am free, I can help you do that. You should know that even though Titan’s don’t control me, I can still turn into one at my will. That is how I captured Eren today to talk to him and if need be, I’ll turn again to protect you.

            “Anyway, my plan to stop the Titans from invading frequently is to take control of our portals again. The one we just went through is my own portal so I am strongest here-“

            “If you’re so strong, why were there Titans coming through it?” Mikasa interjected. Eren sent her a glare but she ignored him.

            “I need to stay alive for the protection of both the Spirit World and the Physical World. So you tell me, is standing your ground to that many Titans by yourself a smart thing to do? I transformed and went through with them. But back to what I was saying. Bertolt and Reiner are under Titan influence at their portals. If we sneak in on them at night, we can kill the Titan armies that are there and free their minds. This way, Titans won’t be able to get in to your world as easily and if they do, the numbers will be reduced greatly. I’ve made a deal with Eren: in exchange for your help, I’ll tell you everything I know about the Titan’s endgame plan. I know what they are planning, when they will let it happen, and where it will happen. I offer all this to you if you trust me,” Annie concluded.

            Eren stood up and walked next to Annie. “I’ve accepted her terms as the Avatar and we should trust her. I know it’s hard to but this information is too valuable to ignore. We have to do whatever it takes to save humanity and if it means trusting a Titan-like spirit, then we should do it,” Eren said as he looked at Levi.

            “Eren’s right,” Levi said calmly. “She’s not lying either about this information. She has it and we need it so get up. Annie, you can lead the way.”

            Annie bowed to Levi and began to walk towards the blacken fields she had been staring at intently earlier. Reluctantly, Squad Levi and the others followed behind her as they walked deeper into the Spirit World.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 42???????? hopefully Saturday(don't quote me on this). Also, feel free to badger me for updates (seriously please do)
> 
> Thanks for being so patient!!!!! and for all these hits/kudos/comments! 
> 
> tumblr:chibinico


	42. Bertolt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They find Bertolt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure you've noticed that updates have slowed... I'm sorry guys but school's been quite demanding as of late. I'll keep trying to update as soon as I can without releasing shitty chapters. love you all!  
> Also, here's chapter 42!! (Eren is being such a lil shit to everyone and I love it)
> 
> enjoy!!!

**Day 1**

“So Annie,” Mikasa began coldly. “Where exactly are we going?” The group found themselves traveling through the thick, black grass fields that seemed endless. They had been walking for a little over an hour but they followed Annie without question. Except for Mikasa to Eren’s great annoyance. He could understand why to be wary of Annie but he couldn’t get why to be rude to her.

            “We’re going to Bertolt first. He isn’t as strong as Reiner so we’ll be able to get him out of their control faster.”

            “And how long is this excursion of yours going to take?”

            “It’s not an excursion, human. It’s a rescue mission,” Annie regarded coldly. Eren glared at his sister as they followed the blonde spirit through the tall darkened grass. “And to complete this mission, it’ll take about a month in Spirit World time.”

            “Wait a month?” Eren interjected. “That’s like three months in the regular world! I don’t think we even have the supplies…”

            “It’ll take two weeks to get to Bertolt and after that fight, we should rest,” Annie continued as if Eren didn’t interrupt. “After that, it’ll take another two weeks to reach Reiner. That’s about four weeks then and make it six if you want to travel home using Bertolt’s portal.”

            “Wait Annie,” Levi called out while the group walked further into the night. “What exactly are we going to be walking into if we continue to follow you?”

            “You’re mission originally was to defeat the Titans nearby the portals so they would stop attacking as frequently, correct? Well, the Titans you are looking for are surrounding Reiner and Bertolt. So if you follow me, both our missions will be carried out.” She glanced back to see Levi’s face. He had one raised eyebrow and an impassive expression. She smirked and turned around while drawling out, “I guess you want to know why it’s going to take this long?”

            “That would be beneficial,” Eren said lightly, trying to break the growing tensions.

            “You should know Avatar, that the Spirit World’s layout is similar to the physical worlds at some places. The terrain and look is always different but in a way, you could say that the landmasses are still the same. Currently, we are in the South Pole. Bertolt’s portal is in what you would call the northern Earth Kingdom. That’s going to take a while to walk to, especially by night. Reiner’s portal is at the North Pole. That’ll take some time. If you want to return home to Ba Sing Se, Bertolt’s exit is much more convenient.” Levi and Eren glanced at each other briefly with confused looks. Neither of them had told Annie about where they lived…

            “How did you know that we lived in Ba Sing Se?” Hanji suddenly voiced. All eyes turned towards Annie but she continued to walk, pulling away at clumps of grass, without looking back at them.

            “I just do.”

            “Annie,” Eren warned.

            “I will tell you when we save my friends. It has to do with the information. But my poi-“Annie abruptly cut herself off midsentence and threw her arms out, signaling for everyone to stop as she pulled at a bunch of grass.

            “Why are we-“

            “SHHH,” she hushed Eren much to Mikasa’s anger. “Titans.” She didn’t have to say anymore for everyone to tense up and heed her warning. In front of them lay three Titans sleeping soundly in the grass.

            “We need to go around them,” Levi whispered.

            “No. Right now we need to kill them and then move away from here. Titans rarely sleep alone so I’m willing to bet that there will be a few more groups out here. The less Titans discover us, the better.” Levi nodded and signaled for his squad and Hanji to move out while he stayed with Eren and Annie. They maneuvered their way through the tall, black grass and positioned themselves directly across from the nape of the first Titan’s neck. Hanji gave the signal and in a flash of light, the Titan was killed. While they made their way to the next Titan, Levi whispered to Annie.

            “Why are you being so secretive?”

            “I don’t have a choice. I would’ve given you this information regardless if you helped me or not but I _need_ to get Reiner and Bertolt back as soon as I could. I-I’m beginning to dissolve.” Annie kept her face in a stony mask but Levi could hear the tremble in her voice.

            “I thought you said that you can’t die because of the balance of our worlds or some shit,” Levi asked confused. Another flash; the second Titan was down.

            “The guardian spirit of this portal cannot die; that is correct. However, the spirit who is being the guardian can dissolve away after a couple eras and be replaced. This Titan war is weakening me, making me able to be replaced. If I have Reiner and Bertolt though, my presence and skill increases so I will be able to survive. This is my last chance to get them back so when I saw you, I took my chance. Now the only problem is your team; they don’t trust me,” Annie said softly while watching the final Titan die in a flash of bright, fiery light.

            “When you show your true colors, they’ll come around,” Levi comforted. “And about your situation, I’m not going to let you dissolve over something as stupid as that.” Annie chuckled as she watched the group of trained Titan killers make their way back to them without so much of a single speck of dirt clinging to their clothes.

            “Thank you Levi.”

-X-

**Day 4**

The group was setting up their camp for the day. They found themselves in a ditch Sasha made. The sun was painting the sky and the ground in beautiful shades of reds, pinks, oranges, and the occasional purple. Eren and Sasha were going around making earth tents for everyone. As he came across a spot for himself, he felt a hand slide onto his shoulder.

            “Make sure it can fit two people,” Levi breathed into his ear.

            “Jeez Levi, I didn’t realize you were so eager to get a taste of the Jaeger package,” Eren chuckled.

            “The fuck are you talking about?”

            _Oh shit._ “Um, I-I meant uh, never mind,” Eren stuttered. He quickly built a large tent for the both of them and ran off to make Armin’s tent, his face as red as a tomato.

**Day 8**

            “Eren,” Armin whispered as they were on watch duty for the night.

            “Yeah?”

            “What do you think of Annie?”

            “I trust her. She’s doing what she must to survive and helping us at the same time. No reason to doubt her.”

            “I want to trust her but she’s too damn complicated,” Armin huffed.

            “Have you just talked to her?”

            “No.”

            “Do that. Talk about books or some shit like that.”

            “She’s a spirit; do they even have books here?”

            “They do,” a new voice stated. Both men turned their heads to see Avatar Ilse standing before them. She had a pomegranate in one hand and the other was buried in her hair. “It’s actually a library. Anyway, I came to tell you that there is a group of seven Titans near. If you leave now, you will be spared.” As quick as she came, Ilse left again.

            “Well, you heard the lady,” Eren declared as they stood up to wake the others.

            “Yeah, we should find that library,” Armin answered seriously as he too stood and began to brush the dirt off his pants.

**Day 12**

            The group had now traveled with Annie for 12 days without any trouble. Mikasa was still ready to lob Annie’s head off due to her treatment of Eren from times past but most of the group was relaxing around the spirit. She and Armin were becoming good friends and Eren couldn’t help but tease them. They were currently walking in a rocky area with Levi leading the front with Annie, his hand aflame to guide their way. According to Annie, they still had two more nights to travel before they’d reach Bertolt.

            Eren was walking back with Armin and Mikasa when he caught Armin blushing. “Oh Armin,” he chuckled as he slung his arm around the blonde’s shoulder.

            “W-what?”

            “You’re staring again. And blushing.” Mikasa rolled her eyes as Armin blushed harder and looked away.

            “N-no I’m not Eren. I don’t like Annie that way,” Armin protested weakly.

            “Come on Ar, who are you trying to fool? Mikasa and I both know that you’re a shitty liar and the stuttering is a fucking giveaway. Just ask her out or something.”

            “You know I can’t do that! She’s a spirit so it wouldn’t work out between us…” Armin trailed off sadly while looking wistfully at his dream girl.

            “Oh Armin. You’re too young to have experienced the sting of love to realize whenever it’s real.”

            “What the hell are you even talking about Eren? You’re only a few months older than me,” Armin demanded.

            “Yes but I have a boyfriend who loves me as much as I love him. And don’t even start about the whole ‘it’s not going to work’ thing. Mine is ten years older than me, yours is a spirit. What’s the problem? Love is love,” Eren sighed out happily. But wait moment, they had been traveling for 12 days so it was no doubt mid-January back home meaning… “LEVI!” The whole group froze as they heard Eren’s shout. Everyone was immediately checking the surrounding area for Titans.

            Finding none, Levi glared at Eren. “Eren, what the fuck? You know better than to suddenly shout my name when we are trying to stay silent. Or at least I hope you do.”

            “Oh stop being such a fuss. Happy birthday!” Levi’s eyebrows rose so fast that Eren thought they’d disappear in his bangs.

            “Oh my god! I totally forgot because of the mission!” Hanji squealed. “HAPPY BIRTHD-“Levi slapped a hand over her mouth and glared again at a smirking Eren.

            “First off, Hanji shut the fuck up. We don’t need to attract any more attention to ourselves. Second, Eren do you see what you’ve done now? This freak isn’t going to shut up now.” Levi stiffened his arm and slowly removed his hand from Hanji’s mouth; a small strand of spit was strung from Levi’s bare hand to Hanji’s tongue. Levi turned slowly to face the wrongdoer with his death glare to the highest setting. Even in the dark, his face was practically a fucking lighthouse of seething anger. “Lick my hand again Hanji, and I’ll burn your fucking tongue off,” he whispered loud enough for everyone to hear but soft enough that it scared the shit out of everyone.

            The silence that followed was deafening and unnerving until Eren spoke up. “So what do you want? For your birthday I mean.”

            “I want to get home in one fucking piece with all of my squad and this shitstain,” he said pointing to Hanji. “Now let’s keep moving.” Eren shrugged and turned back to Armin.

            “Just tell her how you feel. You won’t know until you try after all,” Eren pointed out.

            “I don’t want to ruin our friendship. Maybe before we leave or something…”

            “Whatever you say Armin,” Eren gave in. He glanced off in the lightening sky and scanned the environment. There were a few mountains in the distance on his left and a deep, large, swirling, cloudy sea on his right a few miles away. “Annie?”

            “Yeah?”

            “What’s that?” Eren pointed to the deep cloud-like sea and Annie turned to see where he was pointing. Her face paled and she moved to the left of Levi.

            “That’s the Fog of Lost Souls. It’s like a prison for souls, spirits, and Titans according to some rumors. It traps you in your darkest memories for eternity. My father is trapped in there actually but I never liked the man so he can rot there for all I care. Anyway, it won’t affect you unless you fall in so let’s hurry and leave the area. We still have to walk a little more before we can stop and rest.” Annie turned away from the pit without a second glance or another word. A small forest was coming up where they could sleep safely. The air around the group was silent and slightly tense but naturally, a certain 17 year old would change that.

            “Uh Captain,” Sasha asked hesitantly. Levi let out a grunt of acknowledgement and so she continued. “How big are our rations going to be for tonight?”

            “Half of one thing you packed. I know you have some blubbered seal jerky in that bag of yours so you can only have two of the four. We are going to be here another two or three weeks.” Sasha let out a quiet whimper and Connie patted her back in understanding.

            “It’s okay Sash,” he comforted. Or at least tried to.

            “Don’t fucking call me Sash, Connie!” Sasha snapped. Connie retracted his hand quickly from fear of being swatted while Eren tried to contain his giggling.

            “You two act like an old married couple sometimes,” Mikasa joked lightly.

            “For fuck’s sake! Can’t a girl and a guy be best friends without having feelings for each other? I swear that-“Connie quickly shoved a half-eaten piece of bread into Sasha’s mouth.

            “You’re not you when you are hungry. Better?” Sasha nodded and chewed happily on the bread.

            “Alright enough drama,” Levi interrupted. “We’re all tired as fuck and the forest is right over there.”

            “Levi’s right,” Annie said as she turned to face everyone. Bertolt is in the center of the forest; there will be Titans everywhere at this time. We need to stay vigilant and cautious.” The team crept quietly to the tree line and thanks to Eren, were lifted into the air to land on the high tree branches. Once Annie deemed them safe, Levi found a well hidden corner, sat down, and began to sleep.

**Day 14**

            Surprised would be an understatement to the feeling Levi experienced when he woke up from sleeping from the long shift the night before. Terrified-to-the-point-of-nearly-shitting-his-pants was a better expression to use. When he opened his eyes, Levi was greeted by the smiling face of a Titan hovering over him, close enough that Levi’s hair was blown back my every breath of air it released. Quick to get over his shock, Levi quickly blasted a white-hot flame into the Titan’s eye. The Titan backed up and let out a loud scream of pain.

            “GUYS WAKE THE FUCK UP NOW!” he yelled. Instantly, they all jumped out of sleep and stood up. “THERE’S A TITAN HERE!” As Eren began to run to Levi’s assistance, Annie threw her arms out and held him and the others back.

            “Get Bertolt Eren,” she ordered. She looked to Levi with a stone hard face but Levi could see the desperation in her eyes. “Let me take care of this Titan because there is more to come now that one has found us. Go get Bertolt and I’ll find you later.” Before any of them could protest, Annie pulled out a dagger and ran towards Levi.

            “Annie what are you doing?” Eren tried to go after her but Mikasa grabbed his arm. Annie passed a confused Levi and leapt off the tree branch. She yelled in defiance before slicing her palm with the dagger. There was a large flash of light and a cloud of black mist. There was a loud thud and the ground shook from the impact. A long extension of the cloud of black mist hit the head of the other Titan and it went flying. The black mist cloud fell to the ground and finally solidified to form Titan Annie. Annie turned and sank her talon like hands into the other Titan’s regenerating body and pulled it apart. As they watched Annie redecorate the once green forest, she let out a short scream. Levi jumped out of his shock and began to run away from the scene.

            “Let’s go! She has this. We need to find Bertolt.” Squad Levi nodded and ran after their leader, Eren and Hanji following behind them. Levi led them through the maze that was treetops and vines, swinging by as if the forest was his home.

            “Levi! Down there!” Hanji called. She was pointing to a small clearing with a large beam of blue energy shooting up into the sky. There was a mess of Titans going into the portal and behind them shouting orders, was a tall, lanky boy with neat black hair.

            “On three, intercept the Titans and take them down!” Levi yelled. “One. Two. THREE!” With a simultaneous yell, they burst out of the trees and took out three Titans. Bertolt looked at the incoming threat in surprise. His eyes were blank white with no irises as he gave an order.

            “KILL,” he bellowed. “KILL ALL. KILL EVERYTHING. FORGET THE HUMANS. KILL THESE. KILL!” The Titans slowly changed course and began to head towards the Survey Corps members.

            “Eren!” Levi ordered. “Get to Bertolt! Do to him what you did to Annie. The rest of us will take care of the Titans.” Eren didn’t argue and ran towards the man in question. Bertolt however, had other plans. He sprinted directly for Eren with his blank eyes wide and kicked his chest with all of his weight. Eren, unable to block in time, went flying back. His body banged against a tree trunk and he felt a warm liquid flow down his neck.

            “Bertolt!” Eren shouted despite the throbbing in his head. The spirit advanced towards him and sneered.

            “Bertolt isn’t here. He never was and never will be.” Then, ‘Bertolt’ wrapped his fingers around Eren’s throat and pressed his thumbs down hard against his larynx.

            “B-Bertolt,” Eren managed. “W-wait! F-fight it! I can s-save you! It’s me, E-Eren.”

            The white in Bertolt’s eyes faded to a foggy state slightly and the grip on his neck lessened slightly. Taking advantage of the second long confusion, Eren used the last of his air to yell faintly as he pressed his hands against Bertolt’s face.

            The effect was instantaneous. Bertolt screamed and released Eren’s neck in favor of clutching his face.  He scurried over a few paces before collapsing. Dark patches of skin began to fall off of his body and his screams became fainter with each patch that fell. Eren sat up and held his throat as he breathed in and out deeply, filling his lungs with that precious oxygen. He scooted over to Bertolt and looked him over. His eyes were just barely open but there were irises again. He moved his lips but Eren couldn’t hear him.

            “What was that?” Eren leaned closer for good measure and the real Bertolt breathed into his ear.

            “P-portal. Close… it… before it’s…too…late.” Eren nodded and stood up, ignoring his protesting body. He ran over to the portal and placed his hands out to the energy. Like at Annie’s portal, he let the energy seep into his own strength and groaned at the intake of so much power. The energy beam lowered steadily and began to harden before long. With a final flash of light, the portal sealed itself and Eren dropped his hands in exhaustion.

            He was ready to fall back and pass out but a scream brought him out of his stupor. It was Annie’s scream. Before he could process his actions, Eren ran back into the forest to where he saw Titan Annie being eaten alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments, kudos, and hits guys!! I'd love to read your reactions so I know that i'm not fucking up too badly here. You can leave them below or on my tumblr: chibinico  
> Until the next update!


	43. Reiner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They find Reiner and Annie gets ready to reveal her information...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last chapter to this mini-arc! then the final arc shall begin....   
> Also, thanks for over 5000 hits!! You guys are seriously the best!  
> Enjoy!

**Day 14 (cont.)**

Eren watched in horror as Titan Annie lost limb after limb and he stood powerless to help her. First gone was her left leg, then her right arm, and then her jaw. The group of attacking Titans were relentless. They pulled and ripped away at the misty yet solid pieces of flesh and left them strewn about. There was a rustle behind him, and Eren turned to find Mikasa, breathing heavily but her face paled as she observed the scene below them.

            “Is Annie inside?” she asked loudly, cutting straight to the point. Eren nodded and looked back at the Titan being ripped apart.

            “We need to get her out but there are too many Titans in the area!” Eren yelled.

            “I think she’s already ahead of you! Look!” Mikasa pointed over to an area of densely packed trees. Up in a branch, Annie, in her usual form, was perched on a branch and grabbing her right hand. Mikasa glanced at Eren and he nodded, understanding the secret communication. Mikasa ran to the left and jumped from branch to branch to get to Annie and Eren ran from the right and gathered water from the air around them while jumping from treetop to treetop. Mikasa got to Annie first and was talking softly but urgently when Eren arrived.

            “You’ll be okay, Annie. It takes guts to do what did. Bertolt is fine and the portal is closed. Just hold on okay? Eren’s here, he’ll fix you up.” The branch shuddered as it endured Eren’s sudden weight. He glanced down to Annie and saw crimson- blood. She was covered in it and crying from pain. “Eren! Annie got her hand bitten off,” Mikasa yelled to her stunned brother. Eren took in the mass of a fleshy, red lump at the end of Annie’s right arm. That could not have felt good in the slightest.

            Eren knelt down and began to heal Annie’s hand with the water he gathered. As he laid his hands over the flesh, the water glowed a bright blue as it worked. Slowly, the blood began to solidify and stop flowing and Eren stopped the healing in favor of grabbing a glove from the South Pole and placing it over the stump. A Titan bumped against the tree and the small trio in the high branches swayed dangerously.

“We need to get Annie out of here!” Eren shouted. Annie’s face was gray as she looked wearily at Eren and Mikasa at the mention of her name. “You carry her and I’ll clear anything that gets in our way. We need to meet up with Levi,” he ordered Mikasa. She nodded and slung Annie over her shoulders like a sack of potatoes. With unspoken communication, Eren jumped to the ground and began heading in the direction he came. He heard a thud behind him and knew that Mikasa was following him.

            Their plan was a dangerous one; everyone knew that running on the ground with Titans nearby was like asking for them to come and kill you. But hey, he survived this long. Eren shook his head and concentrated at the task at hand: they had to get back to the clearing. With a burst of energy, Eren increased his sprint. He and Mikasa zipped by Titans and other spirits who kindly ignored them and continued to aimlessly drift. He made a sharp left turn as he recognized where they were and in a few seconds, them stumbled into the clearing now littered with the corpses of Titans.

            “Levi!” Eren called out as he saw said man was assisting to treating minor injuries. Levi turned and widened his eyes when he saw Mikasa carrying the limp Annie and the blood on all of their faces. “Levi, we need to find cover or leave the forest! Lots of Titans are nearby and they all want Annie.” Eren finally slowed his speed, feeling much safer with Levi around, and stopped to catch his breath.

            “What happened? Tell me a quick report,” Levi ordered as he glanced at the tree line.

            “I saw Eren close the portal and dash into the forest,” Mikasa spoke in place of the wheezing Eren. “I followed him and saw Annie in her Titan form being ripped apart and eaten by some Titans. She had already gotten herself out of the mess and was in the trees. She was injured but Eren managed to stop the bleeding. We came back here immediately afterwards but there were a lot of Titans in the area. It would be smart to leave,” she concluded as she placed Annie down on the ground. Levi clicked his tongue and glared off in the distance.

            “N-no,” a small voice whispered. Annie’s eyes were closed but her eyebrows were knit tightly from the waves of pain racking her body. “We can’t leave.”

            “Levi knelt down to hear her better and asked, “Why not? What’s beyond the forest?”

            “R-Reiner’s….portal. Hiding….is better,” she breathed out.

            “How big is the forest?”

            “40…kilometers.” Annie’s responses were getting slower along with each breath she took. Levi grit his teeth and nodded.

            “Alright we’ll hide for now. Eren, Mikasa.” The siblings looked to him awaiting their orders. “Lead the group into the woods to find shelter. I’ll carry Annie in the meantime.” They nodded and round up the small group of soldiers. Levi scooped Annie into his arms and began to follow Eren and Mikasa. As the trees all began to blur together, Levi whispered into Annie’s ear. “You did well to hold off that many Titans on your own. Just hang on a little bit, I promised to free you didn’t I? I can’t exactly do that if you fade.”

            At the front of the group, Eren felt a buzzing in his head. Something felt wrong about the Titans who were attacking Annie earlier. He pressed a hand to his temple and kept his eyes peeled for a hideout as the sun began to creep into view. The dark forest lightened and several spirits darted back into their dark dens. Eren glanced as he found an empty den and nudged Mikasa. He pointed to the den and she nodded, panting too hard to be able to speak. They turned and the group followed without hesitation into the dark quarters.

            Once inside, Hanji placed Bertolt down and began to work on Annie’s stump of a hand while Levi began a fire. “I’ll take first watch,” he commanded. “Everyone else get some rest.”

            “Captain Levi?” Armin asked boldly. “May I watch with you since Hanji will be working on Hanji?” Levi shrugged his shoulders and Armin briskly moved to sit next to Annie. She had passed out earlier in the long run so she didn’t feel any pain as Hanji sewed her skin shut and adjusted the places for the misplaced muscle. It was only after the others had fallen asleep though, that Armin weaved his hand through hers and squeezed gently.

**Day 18**

By now, it wasn’t uncommon to be forcibly awaken in the middle of the day to run and find a new shelter. The Titans that were attacking Annie when they had rescued Bertolt were still chasing her. Eren knew something wasn’t right but he didn’t bring it up yet. He wanted to know himself what they were before he told anyone about his feeling.  So when Sasha slapped his face hard one morning, Eren didn’t protest but merely stood up and began waking others. In less than a minute the group was out and sprinting to their next shelter while heading to the end of the woods.

            Armin was helping Annie, who was making a good recovery, and Bertolt, who was always exhausted but very thankful to Eren saving him.

            “Why do these things keep chasing us?” Connie exclaimed. “We aren’t going to have any strength to fight this Reiner guy if we don’t get away from them. Why don’t we just kill them?”

            “You can’t kill them!” Annie shouted while running. “These are different than normal Titans. They know their weak spot and how to defend it.” Annie’s words allowed for a layer of fear to fall upon everyone. Stupid Titans were bad enough but smart ones?

            “Keep running,” Levi ordered calmly. “We’ll talk about this later.” Eren fell back to match Levi’s pace and glanced at him questioningly.

            “Are you alright? How are you not terrified at this information?”

            “I’m fine and terrified but right now, I need to be a leader and get my squad to safety.” He glanced behind him and grit his teeth. “Go help Bertolt; he’s falling behind again.” Eren nodded and fell back again.

**Day 20 into Day 21**

            “What the hell do you mean you can’t kill them?” Levi demanded as the group was finally to sleep in peace for the first time in two days. Annie was slumped tiredly against Armin but she looked at Levi when she answered.

            “Exactly that. Certain Titans have abilities others don’t. These kind have to ability to harden their skin anywhere at any given moment. They are trained to use that to their advantage and catch you off guard. That makes it a suicide mission without even realizing it for anyone who tries to slay them. Even I couldn’t beat them and I was once one of them.”

            “She’s right,” Bertolt agreed from the ground of the dirty cave they were sitting in. “These ones aren’t to be trifled with.”

            “I’m going to agree with Annie here, Captain,” Mikasa called out. Ever since Annie has risked her life for their betterment, Mikasa had stopped being so hostile towards her but even this was surprising. “I say that we sleep for a few hours, all of us, and then go find and fight Reiner. If those Titans are still a problem, maybe we can fight them there or depending on the situation, go back home.”

            The others of the cave were nodding viciously at Mikasa’s proposal and Levi grit his teeth. He felt a slap on his shoulder and turned to face Hanji. “It sounds like a good plan Levi. We’re all exhausted and we will need everyone for this fight.” Levi sighed and pinched his nose.

            “Fine. But we’re only sleeping two hours without a guard. I’m not going to take a chance that big.” The group nodded and as soon as they laid down, they were asleep. Trying not to wake him, Levi crept up behind Eren and laid down to sleep, weaving their fingers together for small comfort.

-X-

            “Move out!” Levi shouted and the group began to mobilize the plan created. Bertolt, Annie, and Eren were up in the treetops, leaping from tree to tree to get to Reiner while Levi, Hanji, and Squad Levi were below them, in the clear view of any Titan or threat. Thoughts were flying through Eren’s head faster than he could keep up with them as he swung from vines and flung himself into the next treetop. He tried to push his feeling of unease down, Levi could take care of himself.

            _Just like that time when he was chained, starved, and injured sitting on the ground in a cave._ Eren widened his eyes and shook his head quickly; his conscience could be quite the asshole. He glanced down and saw Levi watching his surroundings carefully as he too leapt from branch to branch. Feeling slightly reassured, Eren looked back up and also scanned the environment. According to Annie, Reiner’s portal should be coming up as soon as they left the forest and the trees were beginning to thin out. AS Eren swung and jumped off another vine, he managed to break the canopy of the forest and get a quick view of the environment. Sure enough, there was a beam of red light no more than a few meters ahead. Eren’s vision was overtaken by green foliage again and he landed hard on his feet. The branch groaned at his weight but Eren didn’t pay much attention to it before he was yelling to the others.

            “We’re about to reach the edge. Get ready for combat!” he yelled. Levi glanced up and nodded to show that he heard and formed fire daggers in his hands. Similarly, Mikasa did the same as Hanji armed herself with water arms, Sasha with rock armor, and Connie and Armin pulled out golden fans that Eren hadn’t seen before. Behind him, Annie drew her dagger, ready to transform if need be. Bertolt also pulled out a dagger to fight with since he didn’t feel ready to transform again but it was made from hardened Titan skin- rare and deadly to both Titans and humans. Eren also covered himself with rock armor but was prepared to use airbending as his first element.

            With one final jump and a loud yell, Eren jumped out of the forest line and into a Titan infested camp. He saw the blonde giving orders with blank eyes and knew immediately it was Reiner. Annie and Bertolt jumped out next, surprising the Titans and Reiner. They tackled Reiner onto the ground but Reiner overcame his shock quickly and turned on them. Eren managed to land on a roll and began to sprint to the portal, weaving between Titans easily. He heard more shouts and knew that Levi and the others had joined the battle. Pushing any insecurities to the back of his mind, Eren threw his hands out and hurriedly channeled the power from Rava. Slowly, Eren felt the familiar feeling of energy seeping into his being. The portal light was fading from its tall beam. Eren’s eyes darted from the portal in front of him to the battle around him. Annie and Bertolt seemed to have a hard time fighting their best friend but Reiner had no problem as his easily disarmed Bertolt and took the deadly dagger. Eren forced himself to hurry and he felt a tingling all over his body as the energy was absorbed quicker. He also felt a small wet trickle of something flow from his nose but he ignored it. On the other side of the battle, Levi and the others were holding their own pretty well against the mass of Titans. Mikasa and Armin drew in Titans and Levi, Sasha, Hanji, and Connie killed them.

            Eren turned back to the task at hand and grinned as the final hardening reached the bottom of the portal. He let his hands fall but only for a moment as he heard Bertolt wail in pain. He glanced back and found that Bertolt was clutching his heel, while Annie had Reiner pinned to the ground. The Titan dagger was coated in red and was laying just out of Reiner’s grasp. Eren put two and two together and roared in defiance. His feet slapped against the hard ground as he pulled a rock from the ground and smashed it into Reiner’s face. The stronger man growled as the rock broke apart on his face but it gave Eren all the time he needed. He leaped over Bertolt’s curled up form on the ground and landed on Reiner’s chest next to Annie. He slapped his hands hard against Reiner’s face and the blonde grit his teeth as he tried to resist what was happening to him. But Eren wasn’t having any shit from any Titan possessing leech. He yelled and slapped his hands down hard again. This time, Reiner also roared out in pain and writhed underneath Eren and Annie’s bodies. A mass of black mist rose form Reiner’s face and Annie grabbed the Titan dagger. She sliced through the mist before it could form any definite shape and the blade absorbed the mist. Eren, who still had his hands pressed firmly against Reiner’s head, didn’t relax his hands until he saw the amber-brown irises return to the other man’s eyes.

            Reiner managed to stay awake and alert after Annie and Eren both rolled off him but Eren felt that familiar feeling of dread in his stomach. He glanced back at Levi’s battle; most of the Titans were dead with a few still straggling around. But he felt as if something was coming. He widened his eyes began to sprint to where Armin was perched in a low tree branch. He couldn’t put his finger on it but he _felt_ that something bad was about to happen to his childhood friend. “ARMIN!” he heard himself shouting. “GET DOWN FROM THERE NOW!” Armin looked at him startled but when he saw Eren’s expression, he dropped from the tree like a rock. And sure enough, as soon as Armin’s feet left the branch, a hand slammed into the tree and destroyed the branch he was on only a second ago. Armin sprinted on shaky legs towards Eren who had frozen on the spot.

            The Titans who had been chasing them had caught up but they seemed different. They seemed _angry._ Eren had never seen a Titan change their expression before but these Titans then again, weren’t normal like Annie had said. Armin slammed into Eren and pulled at his shirt.

            “EREN! Snap out of it! We need to get Levi and the others to leave!” Armin shrieked. Eren nodded quickly and spat out some quick directions.

            “Tell Levi to get the others and follow me. I’m going to help Annie and Bertolt,” he ordered with a surprisingly calm voice. Armin nodded and ran faster than humanly possible across the field to where Levi and the others were. Eren watched him leave before he jumped into action. He ran back, grabbed Bertolt by the middle, and heaved him over his shoulder like a sack of flour. The tall, lanky boy groaned but Eren ignored him. Instead, he turned to Annie who was helping Reiner to his feet. “Annie is there an escape route here?”

            “Yes, why…” she trailed off as she saw the familiar group of Titans invade the field in her direction. “Follow me and keep up.” Annie sprinted off back into the woods to the far left of the Titans while dragging Reiner with her. Eren followed and glanced back to make sure the others were following him. When he saw that they were, he increased his pace and felt the small, accustomed burn in his calves from the relentless running. Bertolt groaned again and Eren slapped his head quickly, telling him to be quiet. The forest was silent save for the sound of fleeing humans and the constant, rhythmic thud of the Titans’ approaching footsteps. Annie made a sharp right and Eren nearly fell as he matched her turn. Suddenly, she released Reiner’s hand and threw herself of the ground, digging desperately for the fake floor bottom. “Where the hell is it?” she cried out.

            “Is it a tunnel?” Eren asked as he aided her in searching. Annie’s head nodded quickly and Eren stopped digging. He thrust his hands out and the ground around them caved into a small cavern. Dirt rained down upon them but Eren just shook his head, looking up for Levi and the others so he could close the hole. Soon after, Armin was the first to descend into the hole. He called back up to the others and Hanji, followed by Squad Levi and Levi himself, all fell in. Eren slammed his foot down and clapped his hands together. The ceiling of the small cavern formed again and they all held their breaths as they waited for the sound of Titans to pass over them before they moved.

_Thud_

_THUD._ This time, the rhythmic marching stopped and no one even dared to blink. Eren could’ve sworn that time had stopped completely because the next minute of silence felt like years had passed.

_Thud._

_Thud._ Everyone let out a collective sigh as the sound of feet pounding into the ground faded from their location.

            “Hey,” Annie panted. “We can sleep safely if we lock ourselves into the tunnel space.” No one objected to her logic and they all piled into the tunnel. Eren tiredly slapped his hands against the floor of the tunnel and two walls erected and enclosed them safely. He fell to the ground and slumped against Levi who was already dead to the world. Eren breathed in Levi’s comforting scent and allowed himself to be drifted off into the realm unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay after this serious arc, we's gonna have some light, short, happy chapters.   
> Thanks for the hits/kudos/comments! I love hearing your feedback!   
> tumblr: chibinico


	44. Through the Portal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After learning of Annie's dire news, the small group returns to the physical world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my, this is kinda short! sorry but please do enjoy!!

            “Levi. Levi! Get up!” Eren gently shook Levi’s shoulder until the raven groaned and blearily opened his eyes. Turquoise eyes came into view in front of him and Levi clicked his tongue as he took in Eren’s grin.

            “The fuck are you grinning at?” Levi said before grimacing at the feel of his unbrushed teeth.

            “You,” Eren chuckled. “I need to wake up earlier so I can see this side of you; it’s adorable.” Eren leaned close to Levi and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Anyway, I thought we should get up now so we can leave. The Titans who are chasing Annie might come back here if we stay any longer.”

            “Mm’kay.” Levi stretched out his legs before he grasped Eren’s extended hand and pulled himself up. He let out a yawn and went to shake Hanji awake while Eren went to wake Annie.

            “Oh and Levi?” Levi stilled his hand as he went to wake Hanji and waited for Eren to continue.

            “Yeah?”

            “I want to go talk to Erwin about us when we get back. I don’t want us to be like this anymore.” Levi turned around, surprised at the sudden topic of their relationship. Eren was squatted on the ground while still looking over Annie. His voice was strong and didn’t waver as he asked Levi.

            “Eren-“

            “I know your reasons but please, I don’t want you to be ashamed of dating me so even if it’s just a little thing like holding hands, I want to do it. And if it still bothers you that much, then we tell Erwin and don’t show any affection to each other until I’m 18, okay?” Levi stood with shock written over his face. He never thought that Eren didn’t like the arrangement they had going. But even when Levi looked back on it, he should’ve been able to see that Eren wasn’t happy. He remembered what Hanji had told him months earlier: if a relationship was to work, there had to be compromise.

            Levi sighed and allowed a small smile that Eren didn’t see. “Alright. We’ll go as soon as we get back.” Eren whirled around with wide eyes.

            “Really?” he asked excitedly.

            “If it’s important to you then it’s important to me. Now come on, we need to wake the others; we’re not out of the woods yet.” Eren grinned like the idiot he was and began to shake Annie’s shoulder. Levi bent down and flicked Hanji’s forehead before ducking her wild, instinctual swing. “Hanji, get up.”

            “What time s’it,” she slurred, her voice thick with sleep.

            “It’s time to leave,” Levi replied as he pulled the woman to a sitting position. Hanji groaned but was quick to wake herself up.

            “Are we going to interrogate Annie today?” she whispered to Levi. Levi nodded and stood to wake his squad. He glanced back towards Eren and resisted the urge to smile as the idiot was shaking Bertolt’s shoulders with Annie’s help to wake the black haired boy. Levi quickly turned back to his current focus and roughly shoved the shoulder of each squad member. Mikasa darted awake and looked around wildly for Eren.

            “He’s waking up Bertolt,” Levi said to the distressed teen while waking Armin, Connie, and Sasha. Mikasa’s shoulders relaxed noticeably and she began to stretch.

            “Levi,” Eren called out. “Should I wake Reiner?”

            “No. Let his mind rest.” Levi turned around and faced Annie who was picking at the stump on her right hand.  “However, I do believe it’s time that we get some fucking answers.”  Levi glared and Annie stared at him back, a blank expression masking her real feelings.

            “Very well,” Annie spoke at last. Eren briskly walked to Levi and sat down next to him. Levi too sat down and crossed his arms. The cave went silent as they were all listening carefully to the news. “The Titans are done with this war, much like you. So they are going to annihilate the human race at once. They will attack each of your kingdom capitals and wipe out all the people. You can’t beat them unless Eren alone stops the attack here before all the forces get dispatched.”

            “Me?” Eren asked with wide eyes. “I-I can have help right?”

            “No. The physical world will need all the help they can get,” Annie demanded.

            “Why do you say that? How many Titans will attack?” Hanji asked.

            “300 for each capital.” It took a moment for Annie’s words to sink in. They could barely scrap up a manageable defense against 40 Titans but 300? Even Levi widened his eyes. Eren glanced to him in search of comfort but was only further scared as he saw his lover’s grey-blue eyes flash with fear.

            “How? We closed all the portals,” Mikasa blurted out.

            “Titans are powerful here. They may not be able to control Reiner, Bertolt, and I anymore but there are other portal spirits they’ll most likely use.”

            “How’d they even plan this? I thought Titans were stupid,” Connie whispered to Sasha who was quivering in terror. But Annie heard and answered him.

            “They aren’t educated, you’re right but their leaders are. The lead Titan is the one to watch for. They call it Beast- he gives all the orders and makes all the plans. Rumor among the spirts is that he also created Titans.” She glanced back at Eren. “I know you aren’t ready yet but you have to be by the time they attack because if you’re not, you’ll lose more than just your life.”

            Eren swallowed hard and asked a feeble question. “When?”

            “When what?”

            “When are they going to attack? How much time do I have left?”

            “May 10.” Eren flinched back into the wall behind him and stared with impossibly large eyes at Annie. Levi glanced over to help him but saw that Eren wouldn’t appreciate the sympathy quite yet. He looked at Mikasa and Armin to find that they too were in a state similar to Eren’s.

            “N-noo,” Eren moaned quietly while clutching his head in his arms. “There won’t be enough time. I’m going to let everyone down. I’m so…” Eren tightened his hands into fists and began to beat his head with hard punches. Levi jumped back in shock as he watched Eren beat himself senseless. “STUPID!” _pow!_ “WEAK!” _pow!_ Levi quickly grabbed Eren’s wrists to stop him from hurting himself any further. Eren twisted and turned in Levi’s grasp but couldn’t break free. “See! I’m too weak to even break out of your grip! How am I going to do this?!” Eren shouted.

            “Eren! You don’t have to do this on your own! You may go into the Spirit World alone but you’ll have us backing you up outside,” Hanji exclaimed suddenly. She stared at Levi and he too began to spew reassurances.

            “You are stupid if you think that I’m not going with you, you know. There’s no way in hell I’d let you go on a mission that dangerous on your own.” Eren’s trembling stopped slightly as he started to calm down.

            “I don’t want to lose any of you,” Eren whispered, his voice defeated by foes unseen by Levi.

            “You won’t. I promise.” Eren nodded but kept his head down. Levi turned back to Annie. “Anything else?”

            “Nothing other than the fact that I’m going to try and stop Titan advancement in the Spirit World.”

            Levi nodded and turned back to face Eren but glanced back after hearing whispers of a conversation. Bertolt was quietly pleading with Annie but her expression seemed resolved on ignoring Bertolt’s request.

            “What is it Bertolt?” Hanji pried. Without hesitation, Bertolt spilled the beans.

            “I know of a legend that says of a way for Eren to be victorious in his battle against Beast.” Eren’s head shot up and Levi leaned back in time to avoid getting hit in the jaw.

            “What legend?”

            “The legend of the Fog of Lost Souls.”

            “Bertolt,” Annie warned.

            “The fog supposedly drives whoever is inside insane to the point that they no longer try to escape,” he continued along, as if Annie never made a peep. “Once you’re thrown in, there is no escape for you. We can use this to our advantage. If you can manage to defeat the Beast and thrown him into the fog, I’m almost certain that the other Titans will follow him in. Then they won’t be able to come back ever again.”

            “Titans aren’t that brainless. They won’t go unless you lure them in somehow,” Annie protested.

            “Do you think it will work?” Eren butted in before Annie and Bertolt could continue to bicker.

            “Possibly,” Annie gave in. “But Beast is smart. If it created Titans, it won’t go down easily. Keep in mind, Titans don’t have souls so dumping them in a fog designed to trap lost souls may not solve the problem.”

            “It’s the best option we have,” Levi declared, still holding Eren’s wrists. “Right now, we need leave. We can continue talking on the way but if we don’t start moving, we’ll be wasting time back in the physical world.” Levi pulled Eren up to his feet gently and the others followed in his lead. Sasha stomped her foot and the earthen walls Eren had built the night before to protect them came tumbling down. Annie took the lead, flanked by Hanji and Armin who were asking more questions about the invasion. Sasha and Connie were next, talking in hushed whispers to each other while Mikasa helped Bertolt carry Reiner. Last in the procession was Eren and Levi. Levi had released one of Eren’s wrists but interlaced their fingers in the other hand that he did not release.

            “Are you okay?” he whispered. Eren turned to face him and wore a look of resignation.

            “No,” he confessed. “I’m going to die in this battle. There’s no way around it. There was so much I wanted to do but I’m just glad that I was able to spend this time with you.” Levi stopped in his tracks and grasped Eren to pull him into a tight hug.

            “You’re not going to die. I swear you are not going to die. Even if it costs me my own life. You. Will. Live.” Eren buried his head into Levi’s shoulder and allowed the tears he had tried so hard to keep hidden spill over his lids. “We have a plan so don’t you dare give up on me. You’re Eren fucking Jaeger; you’re too stubborn to die so don’t you fucking give up on me.” Levi gripped Eren tighter and took solitude in the steady beating of Eren’s heart. They were stood silently for at least five minutes, losing the group, contently.

            “I’m sorry,” Eren said aloud.

            “Damn right you are,” Levi chuckled. He pulled back slightly and pressed his lips against Eren’s gently. “I love you so don’t go giving up on me.” Levi didn’t need a flame to see the blush that he knew was coloring Eren’s cheeks. “Now let’s go, I’m sure the others are worried.” Eren nodded and they quickly ran down the path to catch up with the others.

            When they reached the end of the tunnel, the group was crowded around the sealed portal. “Eren!” Armin cried out as he saw his brown haired friend. “We need you to unseal the portal so we can leave.”  Eren nodded and pressed his hand against the hardened portal. Instantly, the hard crystal like exterior burst and a beam of energy shot into the sky.

            “Okay, everyone get ready to cross!” Hanji shouted. “Mikasa, Sasha, and Connie; you three first.” The trio turned toward the portal and jumped through without hesitation. The energy beam glowed bright white for a moment before back to its blueish tint. “Armin, you and I will go next.” Armin nodded and prepared to depart.

            “Armin!” Annie suddenly called out. Armin stopped and turned to face the spirit.

            “Yeah?” Annie fidgeted with her shirt tatters and avoided looking at him directly. Faint traces of red marked her cheeks but Armin didn’t seem to notice the blush. Annie curled her hand into a fist and walked up to Armin. He flinched and took a hesitant step back before Annie grabbed his shirt and yanked him down to meet her lips. Armin’s eyes were blown wide open as he processed what was happening. Annie kissed him hard and pushed him back shortly after.

            “If you call for me, I’ll come,” she admitted shyly before twirling him around and pushed him through the portal with Hanji. After Armin had gone, Annie let out a sigh and turned to face Eren. “Thank you Avatar Eren, I hope to see you again.” Both Eren and Annie bowed to each other before Eren grasped Levi’s hand and pulled the through the portal. The familiar chill of crossing between worlds made both Levi and Eren shiver before they landed back on solid ground. Eren looked up at the sky; it was dark without a cloud in sight and the moon shining brightly.

            They had returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some fluffy chapters coming up to relieve some of this heavy tension! also, keep a look out for a new fic i'm doing with Monochrome_Forest and it'll be about superheroes and shit! Ereri of course as well.   
> Thanks for all the kind comments/kudos/ and hits!! I truly appreciate it!!
> 
> okay time to drown in schoolwork:(


	45. Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey back to Ba Sing Se wasn't easy...especially when you're stranded. But when Squad Levi, Hanji, Eren, and Levi himself finally make it, there's only one thing to do. Party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I"M BACK!! I have successfully finished this school year and wrote this chapter out for you. 
> 
> Longest chapter i think, reaching over 7000 words. It was literally 15 pages long ;-; Thanks for sticking with me through this hiatus! i promise there will be no more. 
> 
> So remember all the way from chapter 9 when i tagged eventual smut? Hehehe I finally wrote some. If you don't like reading smut, i'll put what happens in the end notes. Also, it's REALLY freaking hard to write!
> 
> Alright! Un-betaed as usual. Buckle your seat-belts because you're in for one hell of a ride. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The journey back to Ba Sing Se was exhausting for the group of weary benders. On their first night back from switching worlds, they all slept from dusk to dawn to dusk again in the hard cave floor they found. On the second night back though, Hanji and Levi began to plan.

Hanji stretched her stiff arms over her wild brown locks as Levi stretched his stubborn, short legs out. “Okay Levi!” she exclaimed cheerfully before becoming gravely serious. “We need to figure out what to do from here.”

Levi nodded, just as serious if not more, and glanced over the others who were still asleep. “First, we need to learn exactly how much time’s passed while we were away. From there, we can figure out how much time we have left before the final attack and start making preparations. Eren’s going to need a shit ton of training and my squad needs to heal.”

“I forgot he still has to learn firebending,” Hanji spoke with a frown. “This trip has messed everyone up I think.”

            “You’re telling me?” Levi questioned sarcastically. “Not to mention we literally have nothing to tell us where we are or how to get home.” Hanji glared at the sky as she mulled over Levi’s words. But soon after, those eyes widened and Hanji stood up.

            “Wake everyone up. I have an idea but we need to go now in order for it to work.” Levi stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants.

            “What idea?”

            “We can use the stars to guide us! I talked it over with Erwin on a possibility that something like this would happen,” Hanji said proudly.

            “Not bad Hanji,” he muttered, slightly impressed at her preparations. “I’ll wake the others but let Eren sleep some more. He’s had it the worst out of all of us. I’ll carry him until our next location.” Hanji grinned and turned to startle poor Armin awake while Levi tapped Mikasa’s shoulder. She lurched up immediately and looked for Eren.

            “What’s wrong?” she questioned as she took in the scene of serenity.

            “We’re leaving,” her superior answered simply. He walked over to Sasha and Connie, giving each a flick on the forehead, to wake them up. Tiredly, Levi walked over to Eren’s sleeping form. Without much effort, he swung the seventeen year old onto his back and hoisted him up. Eren did not so much as flinch. Instead, he snored louder and, much to Levi’s disgust, drooled onto his boyfriend’s back.

            “What are you doing?” Mikasa wondered aloud to Levi. “Aren’t we waking him as well?”

            “No, Eren’s had it rough. I’m carrying him until he wakes up and isn’t exhausted.” Levi turned his attention back to Hanji. “Oi, Hanj. Are you ready to leave?”

            “Yes! Follow me!” she declared confidently. Levi adjusted Eren one more time before he started off after Hanji. She held out a paper with scrawled writing on it, undoubtingly her own, and glanced continuously to the cloudless, night sky.

***

            The ground was rough and hard beneath their feet but no one complained. The night air was refreshingly cool in contrast to the warm days.  It was the second night of traveling but they had yet to stumble upon a town or for Eren to wake. Despite Levi’s Squad cheering themselves on, Hanji’s usual brightness seemed to dissipate.

            “Oi, what’s the problem?” Levi finally asked Hanji who had been far too quiet.

            “Nothing really. I just thought we’d be somewhere by now,” she admitted softly.

            “Well at least we’re moving. Just keep doing what you’re doing. I’m sure that if Erwin gave you those directions, it probably bypassed towns to get us home faster.”

            “Do you think he’s given up on us?”

            “What?” Levi asked, bewildered. “This is Commander Erwin; he _never_ gives up on us, that’s why we always have too much paperwork.”

            “Levi, when we left for the Spirit World, it was the solstice of winter. The coldest time of the year.”

            “So what?”

            “Haven’t you noticed the weather? It’s been warm,” Hanji pressed. “How long were we gone that the season was able to change? For all we know, it’s been months. Can you imagine having to tell the world what happened? That the Avatar and the best forces and mind in the Survey Corps vanished with no form of contact for possibly months?”

            Levi fell silent as Hanji’s words processed. He opened his mouth to answer her but stopped when he heard a light groan. There was another groan, this time louder, coming from his back. “ _Eren’s waking up!”_ he realized with a jolt.

            “Mmmmmmmmmmmmm,” Eren groaned while stretching his arms and legs from Levi’s waist. He yawned once before opening his tired eyes and glanced around. “Hey Levi. Hey Hanji.”

            “Well good morning Sleeping Beauty. Glad to see you’re not dead,” Levi replied mockingly.

            “Yeah me too. I felt like I was for a few days though,” Eren answered, completely missing Levi’s sarcasm. Eren yawned again and looked around. “Where are we?”

            “We’re traveling back to the Great Walls,” Hanji rang out. “That’s all that matters right now.”

            “We’re also lost, using the stars to guide us, and no one knows we are alive,” Levi said bluntly. Eren rested his head down on Levi’s shoulder and let out a breath. Levi shuddered as he felt his Adam’s apple bob.

            “You’re such a pessimistic person, Heichou,” Eren yawned. “You should be more like Hanji; full or excitement and happiness!” Levi allowed a small grin while Hanji snorted at Eren’s innocent words.

            “I’ll try, but just for you,” Levi mumbled much to Hanji’s amusement.

            “Aw, look at you two. When are you going to be official?” She whispered loud enough for only them to hear.

            “We’re not even together,” Levi immediately protested.

            “Cut the shit Levi, I caught you guys making out before. And please don’t tell me you forgot the time you were in the infirmary together. But when will you tell Erwin?”

            “My birthday,” Eren replied, blush apparent on his face. “It’s when I’ll be of age.”

            “Oh I see! I forgot you were 17,” Hanji exclaimed. “Levi, you must like the young ones, eh?” Levi gave an intimidating narrow glare and quickly kicked Hanji’s shin. Eren let out a soft giggle and adjusted himself on Levi’s back. He wasn’t quite sure why Levi was carrying him, but it was better than walking himself.

            “Are you comfortable up there Eren?” Levi asked earnestly.

            “Yeah, I’m alright. Could you put me down for a second? I want to try something…” Eren hesitantly requested. He could channel Rava’s power to close a portal, but what about to enhance his own strength? Levi stopped walking and let Eren crawl off him. Eren stepped away from him and closed his eyes. _“Hey Rava. Eren here! Well I’m always here technically, much like yourself. We are kind of inseparable; that’s why I’m the Avatar.”_ he rambled in his mind. _“But um, I need your help again but not to close a portal. I need to enhance my earthbending for a sec so it would be nice to have an immortal spirit backing me up. Uh, I haven’t exactly heard a response yet but…yeah. Thanks?”_ he finished lamely. Taking a nervous breath, Eren kept his eyes closed and stomped the ground as hard as he could. Blocking out any sounds, he sensed the vibrations in the ground. He felt a wind ripple around him and suddenly, his senses were projected much further than he ever could alone. He felt vibrations spanned across miles. There was an approaching town about a mile ahead to their left, another smaller town about three miles ahead of them and then the Outer Wall. The vibrations faded in his mind and Eren opened his glowing eyes.

            “Eren?” Levi probed cautiously.

            Instantly, Eren blinked and the light faded from his eyes. “We aren’t that far away. There are some towns nearby but if Sasha and I can do some earthbending, we can reach the Outer Wall by dawn.” Hanji stared at him in shock.

            “We’re that close? Damn,” she whistled. “Sasha!” The unsuspecting teen yelped before hurrying over and straightening herself.

            “Y-yes Squad Leader?”

            “You and Eren are going to do some earthbending. Can you handle that?” She enthusiastically nodded her head and licked her lips.

            “I’m ready,” Sasha declared, brushing a strand of hair back and turning to face Eren. “Are we doing the earth wave technique?”

            “Yeah. You get Mikasa, Armin, and Connie. I’ve got Levi and Hanji,” Eren ordered. Sasha nodded and went to inform the others of the plan.

            “Alright so what the hell is going on?” Levi bluntly produced.

            “We’re getting back much faster. Hang on to the ground tightly,” Eren confidently demanded. Before Levi had time to even marvel at Eren’s strong voice, he felt the ground rumble under him. Then the wind began to rush through his hair. Heeding Eren’s warning, Levi gripped the ground and looked behind him. They were high up on the “wave” of earth Eren created and going almost as fast as the Ba Sing Se trains. At this rate, Eren would be true to his word and they’d arrive by dawn. Levi laid down next to Hanji’s slouched form and watched the bright night sky. It was littered with shining, white dots.

            Levi smirked to himself and turned his head. Eren was still moving them to the Outer Wall and a woman was sprawled next to him, taking up most of the rock. “Oi Hanji, move the fuck over.”

            “Now that’s no way to speak to your mother, is it _mon petit chou (my little bun)_?” Kuchel replied, her voice soft, silky, and warm. Levi nearly snapped his neck to glance over.

            “ _Ma mére? Comment…(Mom? How…)”_ Levi whispered in awe. He did not even realize that he slipped back into the slightly foreign language his mother taught him. Kuchel sat up and straightened out her white dress.

            “ _Oui. Ça va? (Yes. How are you?)”_ Kuchel pondered, looking at her boy. “ _Tu as eu grand et beau. (You got big and handsome.)”_ Levi felt his eyes sting but he forced the tears back.

            “ _Ç-ça va._ _(I’m good.)”_ He answered.

            “Good to see you remember your French lessons,” his mother spoke aloud, switching back to English. “Do you remember when you were six and I took you to see the stars at the top of our roof?”

            “Yeah, I remember that. You wouldn’t shut up,” Levi shot back with a smile.

            “Manners, _mon petit chou!”_

            “Sorry Mom.”

            “No problems!” she exclaimed before threading her fingers with Levi’s and pulling him close. She smelled like fresh laundry and lavender. “Just watch the stars with me.”

            “Alright,” Levi accepted and let the tears flow from his eyes. He wasn’t sure how long they laid there but it must’ve been awhile. He felt something probing his shoulder but he rolled over and chose to lean closer to his mom.

            But there wasn’t anyone there. “Mom?” Levi yelled, looking around frantically. She had been _right there._

            “Levi!” Said person’s eyes shot open, looking about wildly. Slowly, Levi’s world came into focus. His mother was not there anymore and the stars were gone. Eren’s bright green orbs hovered over him and he felt his heartrate slow. “Levi, are you okay?”

            “Y-yeah it was nothing,” he lied, but Eren saw right through it.

            “Bullshit. What happened?”

            “I’ll tell you later; I promise.” Eren frowned but nodded his head and offered Levi an arm to get up. “Where are we?”

            “The Outer Wall. Armin and Connie went ahead to inform the guards that we need some help and to notify Erwin. They should be back soon, I think; they left like thirty minutes ago.” Levi nodded and took in the surroundings. The land was hard, dry, and bare without any vegetation.

            “Good. I need to take a shit but there’s no land for that here,” Levi bluntly confessed. Eren cracked a smile and loosely took up Levi’s hand.

            “Hey Levi?”

            “What?”

            “When we’re official, will you still do couple stuff in public with me?” Eren pressed quietly.

            “Of course,” Levi answered. He turned to look at Eren’s stunned face. “If someone has a problem that I love you, then they can go fuck themselves.”

            “You really mean that?” Eren squeaked, a warm flush taking over his face.

            “Yes I do. I love you so-“Levi began.

            “EREN! LEVI!” Both men glanced up to see the source of the shouts. Armin and Connie were flying down on their gliders from the Outer Wall. The wind whipped at their loose garments as they descended but their smiles never left. “He’s here! He’s here!” Armin repeated happily.

            “Who’s here?” Eren asked as Armin landed and ran towards him.

            “Commander Erwin!” At word of the commander’s presence, everyone gathered around Armin and Connie to hear their story. “So when Connie and I flew up there onto the wall, we started walking around to find the general of the wall. Well after we found him, we asked about Commander Erwin’s whereabouts. Turns out, he was about to lead a search party to go look for us. Anyway, he’s getting a carriage to allow us in and take us back into HQ.”

            “The bastard will probably want to hear what happened since we arrived in the Southern Water Tribe,” Levi assumed while rolling his eyes. While his squad laughed at his reaction, Levi saw Hanji thinking hard. Suddenly, her words from the other day rang in his head: _“for all we know, it’s been months.”_

“Oi, Armin. Did you find out what day it is?” Levi wondered aloud. The blond shook his head and looked off to the walls. There was a small dust cloud forming.

“Oh he’s coming!” Sasha squealed. “I can feel the carriage with my own feet! I hope he has food; I’m so hungry and the fruits just aren’t holding up anymore.”

“Sasha’s definitely right, and not just about the food,” Eren replied earnestly.

“Well fuck you too,” Levi pronounced. “I worked hard to find those fruits!” As the group laughed at Levi’s disappointed face, the clatter of carriage wheels grew louder.

“Levi? Eren? Hanji?” came a deep shout. “Where are you?”

“OVER HERE ERWIN!” Hanji shouted, nearly making Levi deaf.

“Jesus fuck Hanji! How many times must I tell you to stop shouting right next to me? My ears are very sensitive!” Levi’s complaints were drowned out by the cheers of his squad as a large, green and gold carriage pulled up with none other than Commander Erwin sitting in the front. Erwin jumped off the carriage and immediately pulled Hanji and Levi into a tight hug to their surprise.

            “Thank god all of you guys are safe,” he murmured loud enough for only the three of them to hear. He gave them a quick squeeze before releasing the pair and straightening his clothes. He faced Mikasa, Armin, Eren, Sasha, and Connie with a grin. “Well thank god you all are alright.” They all chuckled but then Erwin’s atmosphere changed. “Okay, I need to know everything. We have the entire carriage time so go ahead and start talking.”

            “Uh, Commander Erwin?” Sasha approached timidly. “Do you by chance have any food?”

            “There are some moon peaches, dumplings, bean curd tarts, and I think an egg custard tart inside the carriage.” By the end of Erwin’s sentence, there wasn’t a single person whose mouth wasn’t drooling except for Erwin. Easily within two minutes, they were all loaded into the cart, stuffing their faces, and making their way into the capital city.

            Eren glanced outside the window as he ate a dumpling but frowned as they passed through the lower ring. There was large mass of people who were quarreling over two cabbages. “Is it me, or are there more people than when we left?”

            “Tensions have been rising,” Erwin answered gravely, capturing everyone’s attention yet again. “First off, whatever you did in the Spirit World worked. The Air Nation is slowly recovering although most of them came to Ba Sing Se as refugees the soonest they could. Anyway, some of the nomads who came here went to the Di Li in order to change some laws but they were denied the rights as citizens of the Earth Kingdom. A lot of the lower ring people are using that as fuel for their civil war. Now, the lower ring’s food sources and supplies have been cut. The palace is claiming it’s for the military but that’s only angering the people.”

            Levi was the first to respond. “Fuck. They can’t be doing that now.”

            “Alright, now that you know who things are here, I want you to tell me what happened there,” Erwin ordered. Levi nodded and began to explain the story.

            “We went to the Southern Water Tribe fairly easily. When we got there though, there was a Titan attack going on. We tried to sneak in without being seen but Eren couldn’t leave the people defenseless. We split up and started helping the people. Mikasa, Eren, and I got cornered by that female Titan, Annie, again. She took Eren into the portal and we all followed her in. Turns out, Annie was on our side and just leading us in safely without Eren being hunted by the other Titans in the process.” The carriage stopped to be admitted into the Middle Ring before moving again.

            “While Annie temporarily abducted me,” Eren budded in, “she explained her situation. She knew of a way that we were looking to close the portals and she knew the guardians of those portals. She would lead us there if I freed the guardians’, her friends’, minds from the Titan control like I did to her. She told me that if I helped her, she’d tell me information she gained about the Titans’ plans. I accepted the deal and we went to each portal. They were pretty spaced out though; it took days to get to them. At each portal, there was a group of Titans ready to leave and wreak havoc. We were able to kill most of them-“

            “Except for a group of abnormals!” Hanji shrieked. “They were set on chasing Annie and capturing her! It was very interesting and also terrible. The Titans might not be the mindless idiots we think they are!” Hanji’s face reddened in her excitement and she began to pant slightly.

            “Continue Eren,” Erwin commanded, ignoring Hanji’s quiet squeals.

            “Yeah, um, we were able to kill most of them and I changed the guardians. We weren‘t that hurt but Annie lost her hand. Oh and I think we can definitely trust her because she has the hots for Armin,” Eren stated with a grin.

            “E-Eren! Shut up!” Armin protested weakly as he face reddened.

            “But the information she gave us was good,” Levi said loudly, taking over the story once more. “The Titans are determined to wipe out humanity; this is the home stretch. They will attack for the last time on May 10. There force will be unbelievable; 300 Titans will attack each capital city simultaneously. The only way to stop them is for Eren to go back to the Spirit World and stop the leaders of this attack before they start deploying troops. We have a plan but Eren still needs to master firebending and the Avatar State.”

            The carriage was silent for a moment as the news weighed on everyone again. “That doesn’t leave us much time at all,” Erwin breathed out. He groaned and slid his hands down his face. “But your story explains why it took you over 3 months to complete this mission.”

            “Wait, what day is it?” Levi finally asked.

            “March 30th, 787.”

            “Today’s my birthday…” Eren trailed off. He glanced at Levi and grinned. Mikasa glanced at her brother, rolled her eyes, and then slapped his shoulder lightly.

            “Looks like we’re _both_ 18 now, you dipshit,” she teased lightly. “My birthday was in February.”

            “I think you both are missing the point,” Levi said sternly. The siblings’ silliness faded quickly at Levi’s harsh words. “The Titan invasion is coming on May 10th whether we are ready or not. That means Eren has a month to learn and master firebending and the Avatar State.” Levi turned to face Eren. “Tomorrow we start training, first thing in the morning. There is no time to spare.” Eren nodded, his eyes glowing with anticipation. The carriage was stopped again as they were finally let into the Upper Ring. 

            “How is everyone back at HQ?” Armin piped up.

            “They’ll be overjoyed that you are back and they are most likely going to throw Eren and Mikasa a party,” Erwin admitted.

            “Yes!” Eren shouted. “I hope they have moon cakes.”

            “And Five-Flavored Soup!” Connie called out.

            “You like Five-Flavored Soup?” Hanji asked, slightly perplexed.

            “Of course I do! The texture and the feeling of the sea prunes cooked so tenderly-” he went on.

            “Alright Connie. If you keep going on like that, you’ll be sporting a boner when we reach HQ,” Levi spoke with an eye roll. Connie’s face went bright red and he started to fidget but stayed silent. The rest of the carriage ride was filled with laughter and various embarrassing stories, mainly centering on poor Armin and his relationship with a spirit. Soon they turned the final corner and awaited at the entrance. Everyone save for Eren and Levi unloaded from the carriage and began to make their way down. “Oi, Erwin!” Levi called out. “Come here a moment.”

            Erwin walked over with a slightly confused face. “What’s wrong? Is there more you need to tell me?”

            Suddenly, the carriage seemed hot and stuffy to the couple. “I guess. I feel like I should tell you this but even if you don’t approve, I’m still going to do it,” Levi earnestly stated.

            “Okay…?”

            “Levi and I are dating!” Eren blurted out. Erwin’s eyes went wide before he let his mask of Commander, drop.

            “Well congratulations to the both of you. You have my blessing but my only request is that you keep pleasure separate from work okay? Now hurry up and get out of the carriage” Erwin revealed nonchalantly. Eren grinned and turned to peck Levi’s cheek.

            “Now I can do that in public!” he cried out happily.

            “And I can do this,” Levi replied as he took Eren’s hand and held it tight as he escorted him out of the carriage. Eren smiled wide and let himself be led to the lifts where the others had gone down a few moments prior. The feeling of finally being able to touch each other in public left the pair giddy, though it was only Eren’s face that held a large smile. The guards welcomed Levi and Eren back before escorting them down.

            They heard the clapping and cheers before they saw them. As soon as the cavern opened up, Eren opened his eyes and squinted down. There was a crowd of people standing and hollering up at the group of returning benders. Eren scanned the crowd for familiar faces and was pleased to find his friends, Krista, Ymir, and Thomas, there.

            “Look! It’s Avatar Eren and Captain Levi!” someone in the crowd yelled. Immediately, the attention was diverted to the pair still holding hands. Although he’d never admit it, Levi felt himself subconsciously try to adjust the remaining scraps of fabric he called clothing to make him look more presentable.

            “That’s everyone!” someone else shouted.

            “They’re all back!”

            “We should celebrate!”

            “Welcome back Captain Levi!”

            As Levi and Eren stepped off the lift, they were almost immediately separated by others coming to hug them and cry. Eren was pulled away by a weeping Krista and Levi was hauled into a bear hug by Mike. While comforting Krista, Eren glanced around for the others. Hanji was being enveloped in a tight hug by Moblit while Mikasa and Armin were both in a hug from Thomas was also crying. Sasha was hugging the dining hall staff, who had decided to come to the celebration mix, while begging them to prepare a feast for her. Connie had snuck his way over to Guru Marco and Jean who weren’t cheering like the others but still seemed happy that Squad Levi and the others had returned.

            “ATTENTION ALL SUREVY CORPS MEMBERS!” the cheering and applause immediately silenced and all saluted in their place to Erwin, who was coming down the lift. “TOMORROW AT THE CRACK OF DAWN, THERE WILL BE A MANDATORY MEETING FOR EVERYONE IN THE MAIN SQUARE. SIT WITH YOUR SQUADS, THERE IS A LOT TO BE SORTED OUT.” The lift finally reached the bottom and Erwin stopped shouting. “Get lots of rest tonight because you will need it. However, for the rest of today, there will be a party in the dining hall held honoring the return of our comrades and the birthdays of Avatar Eren, today, and Mikasa Ackerman, that was in February.” Another cheer went up after that and the people stormed away to the dining hall, leaving a few stragglers in their wake, Levi and Eren included. The latter glanced around looking for his short counterpart.

            “Levi?” Eren called out into the now quiet area.

            “Yeah I’m over here you dumbass,” Levi replied back. Eren turned his head to find Levi approaching him with a small smirk. “Let’s go back to the barrack. My clothes are tattered and I really want a shower. We can go to your party later.”

            “Alright, I want to get clean as well,” Eren admitted. He took Levi’s hand and started to walk back to their old 104 barrack. Even though Eren knew Levi was content with silence, he opted to start a conversation. “I can’t believe Erwin approved like that.”

            “Me neither honestly,” Levi admitted. “I thought I’d have to fight him on it.”

            “Did you mean what you said? About dating me anyway?” Eren whispered.

            Levi glanced at his boyfriend who seemed incredibly interested in a strand of his hair. “Of course I did Eren, I love you and I will always fight for that.” Levi stood on the tips of his toes and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of Eren’s mouth. “Now hurry the fuck up; you’re literally as slow as a turtle seal on land.”

            Eren let out a laugh and tugged on Levi’s hand, breaking into a gentle run. They took a few wrong turns but eventually made it to the right barrack. They barged in and looked around, panting partially. The barrack was empty of people but belongings had been skewed everywhere. Levi glared at the messy room and walked to their room in the back. He opened the door and sighed when he spotted the fine layer of dust.

            “It’s so fucking dirty,” Levi complained aloud. He left the room and Eren in favor of going to the cleaning closet. He took out a white bandana, gloves, dust spray, and cleaning rags. Strutting back to Eren, Levi began to clean the room.

            “Levi, are you seriously cleaning now?” Eren asked in disbelief.

            “You want to help? You’ll thank me later anyway.”

            “Fine, give me a damn rag,” Eren sighed in resignation.

-X-

            Approximately 4 hours later, Eren and Levi finally left the barrack to go to the dining hall. Levi wore his most comfortable shirt and pants, not giving a shit about how casual he looked. Eren wore an old pair of green sweats he had gotten in Shiganshina nearly a year ago. He never felt happier to be clean. He had not realized exactly how dirty he was until he watched the water turn brown and murky after being in the bath for only 3 minutes. After that, he decided that taking a shower would be more productive. While it had only taken him 40 minutes to get clean in his opinion, Levi took over an hour.

            The dining room was very lively when they stepped in. Eren found their group of friends and pulled Levi along in their direction.

“Hey you guys!” Eren shouted happily. There was a chorus of “Hey Eren” and “Hey Captain” back as the group greeted them. Marco spoke first.

 “Eren! How’d it go! You must tell me everything!” he chattered excitedly.

“I’ll tell you later but basically, shit kept hitting the fan every single day we were there.” The group laughed at Eren’s accurate summary and eyed Levi curiously.

“Eren, I’m going to find Hanji okay?” Levi suddenly stated.

“Okay. Are you going to eat with her as well?”

“Probably. I’ll come get you when I’m ready to leave okay? Don’t forget you need to get a lot of sleep tonight,” Levi badgered.

“Geez Levi, I know. I’m not an idiot,” Eren huffed while picking at his nail. Levi chuckled before pulling Eren down for a quick kiss on the lips, not caring that it was in front of his squad. Even though it was a quick kiss, Levi closed his eyes and smiled. He loved feeling Eren’s forever slightly chapped lips against his own. If things went according to his plan, they’d be elsewhere later… He pulled away and let a small smile grace his features before slipping through the crowd to find Hanji and Erwin.

“Eren!” Connie exclaimed. “You and Levi?”

“How?” Ymir pitched in.

“When?” Armin slyly snuck in.

“And why did you never tell us?” Sasha cried out.

Eren laughed and faced his friends. “Okay so yes, Levi and I are dating. We’re an official thing. As for how it happened, uh, I kissed him and things went from there. We’ve been a thing since after the Titan attack in that little sea town. And I never told you guys because I wasn’t of age yet,” Eren answered while covering his face with his hands. “Any more questions about my relationship, please ask now,” he joked.

“Who bottoms?” Jean asked, smirking. Eren’s head shot up from his hands and his large green eyes blazed.

“Go fuck yourself Jean! We haven’t done anything like that!” he shouted, face reddening but he wasn’t sure if it was from anger or embarrassment. Judging by the heat he felt, Eren would say it was probably from both.

Across the dining hall, Levi found himself in the same position as Eren. Hanji, Erwin, Mike, and even Moblit were all bombarding him with questions about his relationship.

“What’s he like?” Moblit asked.

“If you must know, he’s fucking fantastic. He doesn’t give me any shit for cleaning _unlike some_ ,” he punctured each word with a glare towards Erwin and Hanji before continuing, “and he’s always there you know?” Levi moved his weight to his other leg, unable to stand still.

“Aww, Levi’s found true love,” Hanji cooed.

“Shut the fuck up Hanji.”

“In case you were wondering Levi, he smells like a virgin,” Mike assured. Levi’s face turned a pale pink as his eyes were blown wide open.

“T-That doesn’t matter!” he angrily stuttered, much to the amusement of the others. “You’re all dicks.”

“I bet he wants Eren’s dick,” Moblit whispered. The group was silent for a moment before Hanji let out a shriek loud enough to attract everyone’s attention. Erwin was next to break, followed by the others.

“You know what? Fuck you guys, fuck all of you. I’m going to get some food,” Levi spat before storming off and leaving the group of hysterical people. The attention of everyone was soon lost and Levi found himself standing at the dinner line, mumbling to himself.

“Heeeyyyyy,” Eren cooed, rubbing his shoulders. “What’s wrong? Are Hanji and Erwin getting to you?”

“They’re just being little shits and I can’t handle them right now,” Levi sighed. “I’ll get over it soon enough.”

“Well where are they?”

“Near the back, table 4. Wait, why? What are you planning Eren?” Levi asked suddenly wary.

“I have no plans! I just want to…talk,” Eren replied with a smirk. He strutted off, leaving Levi at the line. Levi quickly filled his plate with foods he didn’t even recognize before hurrying in Eren’s direction. No sooner did he get there, he nearly dropped his food in surprise.

“Hanji! Erwin! Mike! Moblit!” Eren shouted sternly, gathering their attention. “It’s come to my attention that you all have been little shits to my boyfriend. Since it’s also my birthday, I’m going to play the “do-what-I-say” card. You have to drop whatever the topic is that’s making him grumpy for the rest of the night, got it?” They all nodded and Eren smiled at Levi. “There. Simple, really. Okay I’m going to leave but just come get me when you’re ready to go.” And with a pat on Levi’s head, Eren was gone.

“You have a keeper, Levi.” Erwin declared. It was probably the only thing Levi could agree with him on for the rest of the evening.

-X-

Around 9, Levi decided to find Eren and go back to the barrack. He said his goodbyes to Erwin and the others at his table and stood to leave. He wove through the still large crowd and went to find where Eren and his friends were. They were all sitting down chatting lightly, with the exception of Sasha who had fallen asleep on Connie’s shoulder. Judging by the stack of plates and crumbs of food on her face, Levi thought she had a fairly good evening.

Levi walked up behind Eren and ran his hand through his soft brown hair. Eren jumped at the sudden contact and threw his head back. He gave Levi a grin and those turquoise orbs sparkled. “Do you want to go?” he asked. Levi nodded his head and Eren stood up, taking Levi’s hand in his own. “Alright, see you guys tomorrow!” he cheerfully waved at his friends who waved back and let himself be led out by Levi.  As soon as they were outside the dining hall, Eren sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Levi asked.

“Oh it’s nothing really. It’s just, my mom used to tell me that she had the biggest surprise for me that’d I get when I turned 18. I guess I’ll never find out what it was.”

“Well, I don’t think this would rival your mother’s gift to you, but I have a surprise you as well,” Levi assured. They reached the barracks and opened the door to 104. It was dark with no light coming through except for the faint glow of green from the crystals in the back hallway. As soon as Eren closed the door behind them, Levi pushed him against it and kissed him. Hard. He pressed his lips against Eren’s and flicked his tongue against his bottom lip. Eren opened his mouth for him without hesitation and moaned quietly. Levi ran his tongue over the roof of Eren’s mouth, over Eren’s own tongue, and mapped out every surface he could taste.

However, Eren wasn’t as submissive as Levi had originally thought. He pushed his head against Levi’s, fighting for control of their sloppy kiss. He pushed his tongue past Levi’s and gave him the same treatment. Levi tasted like Kalenutsco* and faint traces of Jasmine Tea; both were drinks that Eren enjoyed. He ran his tongue around Levi’s and the latter shuddered while letting out a breathy moan. Eren pulled away, panting from lack of air, and stared at Levi. His eyes must have been blown judging by the way Levi was smirking. “The others won’t be here until 11,” he whispered.

“Perfect,” Levi almost purred in a low tone. Eren shuddered and felt himself getting harder. Levi grabbed Eren’s wrist and led him back to their room, also lit by crystals. Levi could feel himself becoming hard but he wanted to kiss Eren again. So he did. But this time, they didn’t hold back any sounds. Eren threw his arms around Levi’s neck to deepen the kiss and moaned. If it had been anyone other than Eren, Levi would never go this far. He hated swapping spit with anyone but Eren was different. Levi wasn’t just in love with Eren, he loved Eren completely with his whole being. And he knew that Eren felt the same about him.

Eren knew that he was hard just from Levi’s kisses but he nearly lost it when Levi started to move his hands. They fluttered down to the hem of his loose green shirt and began massaging the skin lightly. Eren’s breath hitched and Levi moved his hands upward and caressed over his pert nipples. Eren let out a moan as Levi began to tease him and pinched one lightly. Levi drew away from the kiss and Eren’s eyes followed a strand of saliva that connected their mouths. Levi’s eyes were almost completely black. Only a small ring of silver was noticeable.

“Mike said you were a virgin. Is he right?” Levi wondered aloud.

Eren blushed but still answered. “Y-yes.”

“Do you want to change that tonight or wait?” Eren’s eyes widened at Levi’s blunt question. He wanted to have sex with Levi but he just wasn’t completely sure about it.

“I-I’m not ready yet,” he admitted. “I want to because I trust you and all but, I don’t think I’m ready.” Levi nodded in understanding, beginning to withdraw.

“That’s absolutely fine. I won’t force you into anything you’re not ready to do.”

“Wait Levi,” Eren breathed out. “I might not be ready for sex, but I want to suck you off.” In an instant, the mood was restored along with Eren’s confidence.

“Do you know how?”

“I’ll figure it out. Before I became the Avatar, my right hand was my best friend. Giving head shouldn’t be that hard if I concentrate.” Eren moved his hand to the tent in Levi’s pants and palmed him lightly. Levi let out a breathy moan and glared at Eren.

“Y-you cocky brat,” Levi breathed out. Eren grinned and switched their positions, Levi now on the door and him in control. He got on his knees and pulled down both Levi’s pants and boxers in one tug. Levi sighed in relief as the cool air hit his cock. Beads of precome were gathered at the tip and Eren stared at it in fascination. “Glorious, isn’t it?” Levi asked sarcastically.

“It’s big,” Eren finally said. Then he turned his head to Levi, nothing but lust in his eyes. “I like big.” Levi swallowed hard and breathed out slowly as Eren began to get to work. Eren fondled Levi’s balls with his right hand while he licked the underside of Levi’s cock. He lapped the beads of precome from the tip and kissed it.

“Ahh,” Levi moaned quietly. “There’s no fucking way you’re a virgin.” Eren only smiled and went down again. He brought the tip into his mouth and slowly took more of Levi in. “F-fuck.” He stopped when he felt the tip touch the back of his throat and swallowed. “Shit, do that again Eren,” Levi pleaded. Eren happily obliged and swallowed with Levi’s cock there again and Levi shuddered in pleasure. He pulled his head back and used his right hand to stroke where his mouth could not reach.  Levi let out a sharp moan and Eren’s own pants were getting a little too uncomfortable. Levi’s hands found their way to Eren’s soft brown locks again and pushed his head down again. “Go faster,” Levi demanded. Eren nodded and began to increase his pace. Levi could feel himself being pushed closer to the edge. Somewhere along the way, Eren had begun to bob his head and Levi slid down the door and inch, the muscles in his legs unable to take the pleasure coursing through him.

“Nghhh. S-shit Eren,” Levi moaned. Eren pulled his mouth off and Levi immediately glared down at loss of contact.

“Talk to me. I want to get off from you,” he requested. Levi jerked his head in a nod and Eren got back to work quickly. He took Levi in as far as he could in one go and moved his head back and quickly, in sync with his right hand.

“Y-you’re such a good boy Eren,” Levi began. “Taking in my cock all the way.” Eren moaned around Levi’s dick and Levi squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He felt the loss of Eren’s right hand and cracked an eye open. Eren had begun to jack himself off as he sucked off Levi. “There you go Eren. I want to see you come from my words, you horny little slut.” Eren moaned again and moved his head and hands faster. Levi felt the familiar coiling of heat in his gut and he gave one more line to Eren. “T-that’s it, make me come Eren. I’m so close.” Eren bobbed his head and hollowed his cheeks as he moved back and that was all it took for Levi. He felt himself come hard into Eren’s patient mouth. Levi heard Eren grunt and opened his eyes in time to see the other spill his come onto the floor.

Eren pulled away from Levi’s length and looked up at him with confusion.

“You can swallow it or spit it out,” Levi tiredly told him. Eren nodded and decided to swallow it. His tongue darted out to take any more he might have missed and grinned at Levi.

“How’d I do?”

“You cheeky little shit. There’s no way you’ve never given head before because that was the hardest I’ve ever come since I joined the Survey Corps.”

“I’ve done a lot of reading but I’ve never actually done it before. I liked it,” Eren replied. 

“Then you’ll like it even more when I fuck you. That’s a promise,” Levi confirmed. “Now go to the bathroom and get me a wet washcloth. You should clean up come before it dries.” Eren nodded and pulled himself off the floor. Levi sank to the floor and shut his eyes, fatigue taking over.

“Levi, here’s the washcloth,” Eren voiced. Levi snapped his eyes open and took the washcloth from Eren’s hand.

“Thanks. Now go brush your teeth so I can kiss you goodnight.” Eren smiled and walked back to the bathroom, swaying his hips slightly. Levi rolled his eyes but smiled as he cleaned himself and the floor. Once done, he stood and pulled his boxers on but left his pants on the floor, then shrugged his shirt off to join it. He walked to his own bed and slid it across the floor to be connected to Eren’s. He adjusted the sheets and blankets to cover both beds rather than just one and then climbed in. A few minutes later, Eren, in nothing but a new pair of boxers, walked out of the bathroom and into the new bed. He kissed Levi tenderly and smiled at Levi’s already sleeping form.

“Goodnight Levi. I love you,” Eren whispered. He pulled Levi’s arm over his waist and snuggled as close to him as he could. He felt Levi move behind him and kiss the top his head before hearing his whispered words back.

“I love you too Eren. Goodnight.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, Levi wants to give Eren a birthday gift involving sex. Eren doesn't want to go all the way so he asks to give Levi a BJ. It's one of the best Levi's had in a while.
> 
> *Kalenutsco (the drink that Levi tasted like to Eren): a fresh drink made of kale, walnuts, and coconut water served in the Earth Kingdom
> 
> Thanks for reading!! Chapter 46 in under the works, coming to you soon! 
> 
> Also thanks for the hits/kudos/comments. I love you all!


	46. Assemblies and Firebending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next day isn't as festive as the night before for most...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to my senpai! May she complete her upcoming finals with good grades and not that much stress!!!!  
> Enjoy!  
> (please ignore the formatting mess!)

            Eren woke up early from warm puffs of air on the tip of his ear. Slowly, he cracked one eye open to find the source. He noticed that he was also surrounded by warm, strong arms. A smile graced his face as he remembered who was cuddling him. Eren rolled around to face his still-sleeping boyfriend and watched Levi. His face was so serene and relaxed when he slept. The thin eyebrows weren’t tense or drawn in anyway and his mouth was slightly parted. Eren pressed his lips against Levi’s nose and watched as the other opened his eyes. Fierce grey eyes with flecks of blue peered out from behind pale lids.

            “Hey,” Eren whispered.

            “You’re morning breath sucks ass,” Levi replied without missing a beat.

            “Good morning to you too,” Eren chuckled. He also noted happily that the dark circles under Levi’s eyes were much lighter today than usual. “What do we have to do today?”

            “Erwin has that assembly thing and then after that you are going to start learning firebending with me,” Levi yawned out. “So get the fuck out of bed.”

             “But Levi!” Eren whined, drawing out the “e” in Levi. “Can’t we stay for like, five more minutes?”

            “No,” Levi answered flatly. Eren’s smile quickly deflated and Levi couldn’t help but feel a small pang of guilt. He leaned forward and pecked Eren’s cheek. “At least not today because of that assembly. We can always cuddle later if you really want to.” Eren grinned again and nodded. He wiggled his way out of Levi’s grasp and strolled to the bathroom to brush his teeth and jump into the shower. “Nice ass,” Levi called out as he watched Eren walk away from him. He listened to the chuckle from the bathroom and smiled to himself.

            “Captain Levi!” A voice called out from outside the door.

            “Speaking,” Levi replied.

            “Commander Erwin wanted me to remind you about the meeting today. It’s in 20 minutes.”

            “Shit,” Levi cursed and jumped out the bed. “Okay thank you, you’re dismissed.” Levi quickly made the bed and ran to the bathroom. “Oi Brat, hurry up. That meeting’s in 20 minutes.”

            “Heichou.” Eren called from the shower without missing a beat. Levi cringed at the awful nickname but started to brush his teeth. “Just come in with me if you’re that concerned about making the time.”

            Levi spit his toothpaste out before answering Eren. “Ok; I’ll be in in a minute.” He finished up cleaning his pearly whites and stripped. Then he walked over to the shower and pulled back the curtain, revealing his beautifully nude boyfriend. Eren turned around and they both ran their eyes over the other.

            Levi took in all of Eren’s scars and burns. His right leg was still discolored due to the burn Annie gave him months ago. His chest was littered with little marks from the time he bruised his ribs in Trost. He had more little scars and scratch marks that littered his arms. Levi placed a hand on Eren’s chest and sighed softly. He shivered as he felt Eren’s wet hand do the same to him. Levi knew he had scars but not as many as Eren.

            “I know it’s a lot,” Eren murmured, almost unheard over the sound of the water. “But I’m still me and I still love you.” Levi looked up into Eren’s eyes and smiled slightly.

            “It’s not that,” Levi admitted. “It’s just that you look so damn _sexy._ I will not be able to keep my hands off you during training.”

            Eren threw his head back and laughed. It sounded like music to Levi’s sensitive ears. “We still have some time,” he suddenly whispered while moving his hand lower. Levi shuffled back and crossed his arms.

            “No, you horny brat. We have to look like we didn’t just get off,” Levi ordered stubbornly. Eren grumbled, clearly disappointed, and began to scrub his own skin.

            Twenty minutes later, Levi and Eren stood upon the stage in the main square with Erwin, Hanji, and the rest of Squad Levi. They all faced the entirety of the Survey Corps. Needless to say, it was a packed square. The meeting finally started once Erwin stepped forward. “ATTENTION!” he shouted. The cavern went silent. “Give your hearts!” The sound of fists slamming against clothed chests echoed. “The news received from Squad Levi, the Avatar, and Squad Leaders Hanji and Levi is dire. There will be a final Titan attack. It is the final battle between mankind and Titans. As I reveal the information, please remain calm.” The Survey Corps squadrons began to shuffle in their places, becoming more frightened at Erwin’s warning. “The Titans will attack humankind on May 10th with 300 Titans coming to each capital city.”

The crowd tried their best to stay silent but some screams were voiced along with wails from those crying. “I give you authority to gather as many civilians as you can for the cause of fighting back. You will be dismissed today to each respective capital. Squad Mike will go to the Northern Water Tribe. Squad Dita will remain In Ba Sing Se. Squad Shadis will go to the Fire Nation. Hanji’s Squad will go to the Southern Water Tribe. Squad Levi will remain here in Ba Sing Se. Cadets will be chosen by Squad Leaders; you will leave with the Squad that chooses you. Avatar Eren will not be with us. He will be trying his hardest to stop the attack from the Spirit World, the headquarters of the Titans. All squads leave today after each leader has come seen me individually. Dismissed.” Commander Erwin turned away from the troops and walked out to the Meeting House. Immediately, the square was filled with sobbing people while the Squad Leaders, except Hanji and Levi, followed Erwin.

            Hanji looked over to Levi. Her eyes were slightly misty but whatever sympathy Levi held for her was quickly lost as she slammed her fist into his unsuspecting figure.

            “OW! What the fuck Hanji?” Levi cried out in pain.

            Hanji cackled, tears flowing freely now, and enveloped Levi in a tight hug. “I want you to have a good memory of me…in case I die in battle. You’re my best friend, Levi so don’t be a fucking idiot okay? Promise me,” she whispered.

            “I promise not to be a fucking idiot. But you have to promise me that you’re not going to be a shit and die,” he replied.

            “I promise,” Hanji whispered. She drew back and gave a group hug to Squad Levi and Eren before leaving to go see Erwin.

-X-

            The cavern slowly emptied out of people as the day progressed. As Eren followed Levi to the fields that they would be using for training, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. He had a makeshift plan but he wasn’t sure how to go about it in any way. Letting out a sigh, Eren shook his head to clear his mind of the various jumbled thoughts. He noted that they were coming to the field where he and Armin learned airbending.

            “You’re going to train me in Airbending Fields?” he questioned. Levi clicked his tongue and bent his neck back to the side in order to look at Eren.

            “No I’m going to train you in the waterfall,” Levi deadpanned. Eren gently smacked his head but stopped walking as Levi turned to face him. “Okay. What fire can you make? Show me.” Eren blushed a light red and scratched the back of his head.

            “So, um, I can’t really firebend…like at all,” Eren shyly admitted.

            “That’s alright. I’ve trained students with zero experience before. Okay, get into your regular stance.” Eren squatted and placed his feet about shoulder’s width apart and balanced on his toes. He kept his arms close and leaned forward slightly. “That’s a good stance; you won’t have to adjust it. Now the key to firebending, is breathing. The breaths you take can convert into energy,” Levi explained patiently to Eren. “From that energy, comes fire. As simple as that may seem, this actually means that you need to learn to control your breathing while in battle.”

            “Ok, controlled breathing and a good stance,” Eren repeated for memory as he stood up straight. “What about when using the fire?”

            “I’m getting there. When you’re firebending for the first time, it’s always a little hard, especially since we are in a place with little sunlight. Anyway, for the first few times you want to feel your energy source. Above aground, the sun is your energy source so you’ll want to feel the heat it gives off. Then just breathe a few times. When you think you’re ready, breathe in, get into your stance, and thrust outward with an arm while you exhale.” Levi demonstrated a simple fire blast and turned to face his newest apprentice. “Because you are new to this, I am going to make a ball of heat to substitute the sun. Feel the heat of it and do what I taught you.”

Eren nodded and waited while Levi summoned the fireball. He was able to feel the heat before he even saw the fireball itself. He took a deep breath and got into his stance as he exhaled. He breathed in again and tensed his right arm before finally exhaling and thrusting out said arm with a loud grunt. A jet of fire exploded from Eren’s outstretched arm and he stumbled back in shock. “I-I did it! Levi did you see that? I made that! I did it!” Eren exclaimed happily.

“That’s great Eren, now try it again without a heat source,” Levi commended. Eren nodded, he eyes gleaming with confidence. He took a deep breath and got back into his stance while exhaling. He breathed in once more before exhaling and thrusting out his left arm with a small shout. The stream of fire was slightly weaker than his first but Levi nodded his head regardless. “That’s very impressive Eren. I guess Hanji wasn’t lying when she told me you were a fast learner.” Eren beamed at Levi and he couldn’t help but let a smile slip onto his face.

“What about defensive attacks? How do I defend myself?” Eren eagerly asked.

“There are a few I’ll teach you but when you’re in a battle, you’ll most likely use whatever is most comfortable,” Levi admitted. “The first is the simple block. You can extinguish the fire from another’s attack with your own. You can do that by jabs of fire or full streams like you did earlier. You can also redirect a shot of fire by keeping your body fluid-“

“That’s like waterbending!” Eren interrupted. “Eh, sorry.”

“Like I was saying, keeping your actions fluid is the key to that technique. And you’re right about it being similar to waterbending. The man who created this technique studied waterbenders extensively. The last technique I’ll show you for defense is circular movement. When you move your arms in circular patterns, you can block, charge your attacks, or knock someone down. That’s it basically.” Levi concluded.  

“Oh? Okay. Are we done then for the day?” Eren asked innocently.

“No,” Levi quickly shot down. “I thought I had said earlier, I like to teach by giving my students experience. So I will be attacking you and you need to fight back with only firebending.”

“B-But I’ve barely learned anything today!” Eren protested, backing away from his boyfriend.

“Learn from experience!” Levi laughed as he got into his fighting stance as watched the horror come into Eren’s eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to be that aggressive. Just enough so that you can get the feel of fighting with fire.”

“Heichou please!” Eren tried again.

“We start on three. 1,” Eren reluctantly settled down into his stance and tried to breathe evenly. “2. 3.” Levi sent forth a blast and Eren dodged it. He sent his own stream of fire towards Levi but it was too slow. Levi easily disbanded the attack and sent another quick blast that Eren couldn’t dodge. As Eren fell with a grunt, Levi came over. “Not bad. You’re quick to adjust which is a very good thing. But you’re attacks are too broad and therefore slow. Try using lots of faster, smaller attacks to off center your opponent.”

“Okay but how do I do that? I only know long attacks,” Eren asked.

“Ordinarily I’d have you figure it out but we’re in a hurry to learn so value this moment. When you make a short blast attack, throw a jab. It’ll feel like your punching something but that’s all the movement you need to do. Just think you’re punching Jean or something.”

Eren laughed and nodded as Levi helped him up. “Round 2?”

“Let’s begin,” Levi replied as he jumped back and threw a series of quick jab-blasts at Eren. Eren stood his ground rather than try and dodge and brought his fist down, creating a small wall of fire that successfully stopped each of Levi’s attacks. “Good job! Keep that up!” Levi encouraged as he began to aim at Eren’s feet. The latter stumbled back as he tried to keep his footing. “Keep light on your toes Eren! Find a way to get your stance again!” Eren backed up from Levi’s barrage of attacks and summersaulted backwards. Landing on his toes, he began to counter Levi’s quick jabs with his own.

“Levi! You…were…right!” Eren called out, each word accentuated with a short blast. “It’s a lot easier if I imagine Jean!” Levi let out a laugh and grin before calling out for a water break.

“I think you’ll pick up firebending fairly easily,” Levi told Eren as he wiped his own sweaty face.  “You’re a natural.”

“Thanks! You’re a good teacher even if your methods are a bit out there,” Eren admitted. Levi laughed quietly and watched as Eren took a long swig of water from a bottle he brought. After sitting in silence for a few more minutes, he stood up.

“My “out there” methods will be saving your ass so let’s get back to work,” he deadpanned. Eren grinned while he quickly stood and got back into his stance, ready to fight.

-X-

The tired and filthy master and student made their way into barrack 104. “Good evening Captain!” Sasha greeted as she looked up from a scroll she was reading. “The others went to the Dining Hall,” she replied, answering Levi’s unasked question.

“And you’re still here?” Eren asked, clearly in shock.

“You know, I do other things than just eat,” she retorted, offended. “Besides, I found this cool scroll about earthbending! There are some techniques on the back but it tells the story of its origin. Apparently, it had to do with forbidden lovers, bagermoles,” she squinted down at the scroll, “and a city named Omashu.”

“Omashu,” Eren pondered aloud. Then his eyes brightened and he snapped his fingers. “I remember that story! My mom used to read it to me! Have you heard the song?”

“There’s a song?” Sasha exclaimed. “I’ve never heard it before!”

“You kids have fun. I’m going to shower,” Levi spoke softly before slipping away. Eren, too busy remembering lyrics, didn’t even notice.

“I remember them now! Okay it goes like this.” Eren cleared his throat and began to sing. “ _Two lovers, forbidden from one another. A war divides their people; and a mountain divides them apart.”_ Sasha nodded her head in tune with Eren’s song. “ _Built a path to be together…_ Uh, I forget the next few lines but then it goes: _SECRET TUNNEL!”_ Eren bellowed to Sasha’s delight.

“ _SECRET TUNNEL!”_ another voice bellowed. Eren turned to see Mikasa and the others come into the room. “Are you singing that old song Mom used to sing?”

“Yeah! Want to join me?” Eren joked.

“Absolutely! I like that song.”

“ _THROUGH THE MOUTAINS!”_ they sang together. “ _SECRET SECRET SECRET SECRET TUNNEL! YEAH!”_ The barrack was filled with laughter as Mikasa and Eren finished their song.

“You forgot an important part!” Armin cried out.

“Oh yeah!” Eren shouted. He pretended to have a guitar and strummed the air. “ _And die.”_ Sasha laughed so hard that tears began to spill from her eyes.

“So how was training with Captain Levi?” Krista asked after wiping her eyes dry.

“It was…interesting to say the least,” Eren admitted.

“Ooh, what type of interesting, Jaeger?” Jean asked raising a suggestive eyebrow.

“You know Jean, your profound interest in my sex life must mean that either one, you want me, or two, you don’t have one of your own. I’m betting it’s the latter of the two,” Eren smugly fired back. The group nearly died again of laughter while Eren relished in Jean’s red face. “But to answer your question Krista, his teaching methods are different than I’m used to. He teaches a small amount and then we spar. He thinks learning from experience helps it stick better, I guess.”

“That probably explains why you’re clothes are filthy,” Marco pointed out. Eren glanced down at the burned frays of his dirt ridden clothes and chuckled.

“Yeah I guess. I’m going to go shower and turn in because I have to do this tomorrow as well. Good night guys!” There was a chorus of good nights as Eren left the room. He showered quickly and waltzed into his bedroom with only a towel clinging to his waist. Judging by the soft snores he heard, Levi had already fallen asleep. He was humming the song he sang earlier to himself quietly and slipping on a pair of boxers when he first heard it.

A whimper.

Eren whipped his head around and stared at the bed. “Levi?” Another whimper. Immediately, Eren’s thoughts turned to the day before. Levi had been having a dream and muttered fiercely to himself in some foreign language. He ran to the bed and quickly shook Levi awake. “Levi wake up!”

Levi lurched up, eyes wide and wild. They darted around everywhere before finally landing on Eren. “E-Eren?” he asked in a small voice.

“Levi, tell me what’s been going on,” Eren all but ordered.

“I…I’ve been having these dreams…” he began.

“About?”

“My mother. She died when I was young. I’ve never dreamed of her before so…”

“So..?” Eren prompted.

“So I don’t know what to make out of it,” Levi finished with a sigh. He looked up at Eren with sad eyes and Eren placed his lips on his forehead gently.

“You don’t have to figure it out alone. Just go back to sleep; I’m right here for you okay?” Levi nodded and let Eren pull him into his arms to cuddle.

“Have I told you that you’re seriously the best boyfriend one could ask for?” Levi expressed through a yawn.

“You didn’t have to,” Eren whispered. “I already knew.”

“I take it back. Go the fuck to sleep, you 12 year old.”

“Can I at least be 13?”

“Dear God…”

“Sleep tight!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 47 should be out soon hopefully...  
> feedback is appreciated!!  
> Thanks for reading!


	47. Chakras

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guru Marco works with Eren to unlock the Avatar State.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aggh this was supposed to be up yesterday but then i got sidetracked by ereri week doodles... :)
> 
> enjoy!!! (please note: there is a 2 week time change here!)

            Guru Marco found Eren in Airbending Fields sprawled out on the ground, bare-chested. “Avatar Eren?” Eren turned his head and greeted Marco with a smile. “Are you finished for the day with firebending training?”

            “If you need me now, I can take the rest of the day off,” Eren proposed. “Levi himself said that for 2 weeks’ worth of firebending, I’m in pretty good shape.” He stood up and brushed some dirt off his pants. “What are we going to do?”

            “We are going to unlock your chakras and make you able to access the Avatar State at will,” Marco confidently told him. Eren’s eyes widened and he quickly turned and shouted aloud.

            “Levi! I’m out with Marco!” Without waiting for a response, Eren grabbed his shirt and put it back on. After shoving his head through, he grinned at Marco. “Let’s go then.” Marco started to lead them away to one of the smaller caverns in the base. There were no barracks or training fields set up in this new cavern, only the rocky ground and bright crystals. Marco kept walking through the cavern until he reached the back wall.

            “Is this where we stop?” Eren questioned. Marco only chuckled and began to scale the wall. “H-hey! Wait up!” Eren yelled as Marco gracefully propelled himself up the wall. He disappeared as he crawled over a hidden ledge and Eren began to climb up the wall as well. Marco reached out to help pull Eren over the edge. As Eren reached the top, he gasped in surprise. There was a hole in the ceiling of this section of the cavern and the clear blue sky could be seen. There was moss covering the rock and a small stream that continued into a wall. Around the rim of the hole, Eren found fire lilies, Levi’s favorite flower, growing.

            “Where are we? It’s beautiful…” he whispered.

            “We’re still in HQ but Jean and I found this cavern a while back. I like meditating here, it’s far enough away that you can’t hear anyone to disrupt you but if Titans attack, you’d be first to see and warn everyone.” Marco smiled to Eren and gestured for him to sit down. After he sat, Marco spoke again. “Okay Eren, has Commander Erwin taught you about meditation?” Eren nodded. “Good. Has he taught you about chakras?”

            “No. I don’t even know what they are,” he admitted.

            “That’s alright! I’ll teach you now.” Marco rubbed his chin as he thought of a good example. “Alright, imagine a stream. When the stream is clear, it flows easily. However, no stream is like that. Things will fall in and make it messy. When that happens, the stream cannot flow. That stream is like your chakras. They are 7 pools of energy in your body. When they are blocked for the Avatar, your energy cannot flow, therefore you cannot control the Avatar State. By cleaning the stream, or clearing your chakras, then energy inside you will flow and allow you to take control. Understand?”

            “So I’m going to clear the muck that’s surrounding my energy pools?” Eren produced.

            “More or less. But opening your chakras cannot be disturbed. Once you start, you _must_ finish or else you won’t be able to access the Avatar State at all. Are you ready?”

            Eren took a deep breath to calm himself before he answered Marco. “I’m ready.”

            “Okay. Let’s start. The first chakra is the Earth Chakra. It’s in the base of your spine and deals with survival. However it is blocked by fear. Meditate on what you fear the most.”

            Eren closed his eyes and thought. _Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. Marco was no longer there, rather he was no longer in HQ. He was in Ba Sing Se, watching it burn. Titans were destroying everything within reach. He tried to flee as one began to walk towards him but was unable to move. Instead, he began to scream._

            “EREN! Your vision isn’t real; it’s only what you fear most. Let it go. Let it flow down the stream.” Eren registered Marco’s words and imagined a stream slowly cleaning the city. It dissolved the Titans and extinguished the flames. The image faded from his eyes and he felt something stir in his back. Eren slowly opened his eyes again and saw Marco sitting in front of him with a relaxed expression. “Good job Eren. You’ve opened your Earth Chakra.”

            Eren shuddered but smiled in relief. “What next?”

            “Next is this,” Marco handed him a cup of a yellow-like substance. “Drink it all.” Eren took the cup and raised it to his lips. The golden yellow color reminded him of his favorite delicacy, egg custard tarts.

            It tasted _nothing like_ egg custard tarts.

            Eren wanted to spit the drink out immediately but he kept it in his mouth. Marco giggled at the sour face he was making before he pulled out another cup of the vile drink and… Eren nearly gagged as he watched Marco drink the entire liquid without a single flinch.

            “If the taste upsets you, pinch your nose and swallow.” Eren quickly heeded Marco’s advice and pinched his nose before swallowing.

            “What the hell was that? It tasted _awful!”_

            “That was Onion and Banana juice. You’re supposed to drink it while you unlock your chakras. Most people find the taste absolutely revolting,” Marco slyly replied with a grin. “Moving on! The next chakra to unlock is the Water Chakra. It’s fitting because we are right next to a little stream!” Marco laughed but his joke did not amuse the unhappy Avatar. “Anyway, it is located at the end of your spine, near your tailbone, and deals with pleasure. It is blocked by guilt. What do you feel guilty about? Lay it out in front of you.”

            Eren closed his eyes and the vision was already there waiting for him. _He was back in Shiganshina, running with Mikasa and Armin to Mount Maria. “We have to get Mom!” he had protested. His plea was shot down by Mikasa and they continued to leave his mother behind._ “I left my mom behind in Shiganshina when the Titans first attacked. I was her 17 year old student. I could’ve saved her. Because of me, she’s dead.”

            “No Eren. It’s not because of you that your mother is no longer with us. It’s because of the Titans. Do you think she would’ve wanted you getting hurt, trying to find her? You made the right decision by leaving. You have to accept that choice now and move on or it will hold you back in making important, split-second decisions.” Eren breathed in slowly and exhaling, letting the memory and vision leave him. His butt felt strangely…relaxed after he opened his eyes.  “Good job. You’ve opened your Water Chakra.”

            “My butt feels weird,” Eren blurted out.

            “That’s probably because the sacrum is right at the end of your spine and connects with your pelvis. The chakra deals with pleasure so it makes sense for your, uh, _pleasurable areas_ , to feel relaxed,” Marco managed with a crimson face. There was an awkward silence between the two that stretched on for nearly 10 minutes.

            “W-we should,” Eren cleared his throat. “We should continue.”

            “Yes! Uh, next is the Fire Chakra. It’s located in the stomach and deals with willpower. It’s blocked by shame. What are you ashamed of?” Marco eased.

            Eren closed his eyes and meditated. It didn’t take long remember his biggest mistake. _He had been feeling really angry when he went to his room. It was all fucking Grisha’s fault. He remembered Levi being worried about him and waking up to see what’s wrong. Then…then everything had gone black. When he came to again, he immediately felt horrible. Levi was injured and bleeding on his behalf because he couldn’t his anger in check._ “I hurt Levi when I went into the Avatar State because I was angry at my father. I can never forgive myself for that.”

            “To be the Avatar Eren, is to bring peace to the world and settle arguments between the nations. In order to settle arguments outside, you must settle any inside of you. It was your most shameful moment but hasn’t Levi healed? Hasn’t he forgiven you? You can use this to motivate you to be a better person but do not let it hold you back.”

            Eren let Marco’s words wash over him. He was right, per usual. Eren breathed in and exhaled- letting the memory flow down the stream. He opened his eyes and found that Marco was offering him that forsaken drink again. “Uh, I’m good thanks.”

            Marco didn’t bother with masking his annoyance. “Eren we’ve been here already for hours. You’re not leaving until at least ten till 1:00 so shut up and drink this.” Eren nearly snapped his neck as he looked up through the hole above him. Like Marco had said, they must’ve been there for a few hours for the sun to be that low already. He looked again at Marco and reluctantly took the cup and drank. Surprisingly, it didn’t taste as bad the second time. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he originally had thought. “Alrighty, let’s continue. The next chakra is the Air Chakra. It is located in your heart and deals with love. Naturally, it is blocked by grief. Lay your grief out in front of you.”

            Eren did not need to close his eyes for the visions to start. _His father had just come home. He brought Eren a gift from the last town he went to. His mother came to ruffle his hair as Petra, Oluo, Eld, and Gunther sat around his kitchen table. They all stop chattering and waved to Eren with large smiles._ “I’ve lost everyone close to me. My mom is dead. My dad abandoned me. My old caretakers, the original Squad Levi, are dead as well.”

            “Eren, do you know what love is? Spiritually, I mean,” Marco gently asked. Eren shook his head. “It is a form of energy. Energy is never lost or destroyed or even created! It’s ever-changing, just like love. The love you experienced from your parents and your old friends hasn’t left you; it’s only been reborn through new love. The love from Mikasa, from Armin, and from Levi. Now let them go,” Marco whispered. A sob tore through Eren as he took a shaky breath and exhaled, opening the chakra. “We can take a break if you want-“

            “No! Keep going. I need to keep moving forward,” Eren pleaded.

            “Okay. The next chakra is the Sound Chakra. Located in the throat, it deals with truth and is blocked by lies. More specifically, the lies we tell ourselves.” Eren sat and meditated on what he’d lie about. He didn’t lie often but as he came closer to a memory, a vision began to take shape. _He was back in Trost, laying injured with bruised and broken ribs with Mikasa and Armin. “Eren are you okay? We can stay here,” Mikasa had asked him._

_“No! I’m fine. I can run. Let’s go,” he had lied through his teeth._ “I lied about my condition when I was hurt because I didn’t want to feel useless,” Eren admitted.

            “You cannot lie about your health and condition to others,” Marco lightly reprimanded. “Just because you are the Avatar does not meant that you are limitless. You are human like the rest of us. Acknowledging that fact will help you understand your boundaries.” Eren sighed softly, the chakra opening in the process. “That chakra opening was very…abrasive. You alright Eren?”

            “I’m fine, just tired.” As if to prove his point, Eren let out a yawn.

            “Only two more, I believe. The next one is the Light Chakra in the forehead. It has to do with insight and is block by illusion. I’ll tell you this because not many understand on their own. The greatest illusion of this world is separation. The four nations, the four elements, the rich and the poor… We are all connected. We are all humans. We live in different nations, as if divided but we are truly one. Those who have died are not really gone. They live on through other forms of love around us. It’s all an illusion,” Marco spoke.

            “It’s like metalbending then!” Eren exclaimed. “Metal is just refined earth. That’s why advanced earthbenders can bend it! We call it metal to classify it better but really, it’s not separate from earth.” Eren felt a calm rush over him and he sighed in relaxation.

            “Very good Eren! You opened your Light Chakra,” Marco applauded. The young guru looked up at the hole above them. The sky had already turned a dark black. “Do you want to finish now or later?”

            Eren nodded his head. “I want to finish tonight. I need to master this as soon as I can.”

            “Very well. You must see this chakra through to the end, regardless of what it asks you to do. Turning away from it will lock it, therefore you will not be able to enter the Avatar State **at all.** Are you ready?”

            Eren paused, debating Marco’s words. “I’ve already made this far. I have to see this through to the end. I’m ready,” he declared.

            “Very well. The final chakra to unlock is the Thought Chakra, located in the crown of the head. It deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachments. Meditate on what keeps you attached to this world.”

            No vision was needed for Eren to know what kept him attached to the world. It was his everything. His entire world, his other half.

            “Levi. He’s my everything,” Eren replied without missing a beat.

            “I’m sorry Eren,” Marco began. “But the only way to open this chakra is to let go of all your earthly attachments. Let Levi go.”

            Eren snapped his eyes open and glared at Marco. “What? Why would I ever do that?”

            “It’s the only way to let the cosmic energy flow. You **must** let him go,” Marco tried again.

            “I just told you! He’s my everything! Why would I let that go? He’s my other half; why would I give half of myself up? And for what? Cosmic energy?” Eren huffed.

            “Eren,” Marco repeated in a firm voice. “Let him go. Without the cosmic energy, you cannot access the Avatar State. You will die when you go against the Titans without the Avatar State. That is a fact; you need this power. It’s not just about you and what you want, it’s about the fate of everyone on this planet. Let Levi go.”

            Eren remained silent for a moment as he thought over Marco’s words. Everyone’s fate…  The answer was annoyingly obvious. “Fine. I’ll do it.” Eren closed his eyes and saw Levi in front of him, smiling slightly.

            _“Go ahead Eren. Let me go. I’ll be waiting for you later,”_ the image said softly. Eren waved goodbye to the vision of Levi and watched as he dissolved. Behind him was a curving path of purple light. Eren took a tentative step onto the light and to his surprise found it was solid and supported his weight. He carefully watched the path as he walked down it, finding it to be quite short. As he came to the end of the path, Eren glanced up and gasped in shock. Above him was a large, glowing, purple version of himself. His eyebrows were knit tightly together and his eyes glowing a bright white. The larger version of Eren came down and moved its hands around him. Eren looked in awe as swirls of purple energy began to orbit around him. He felt warm as he glanced down and the reflective purple path. His eyes were glowing as well.

            Suddenly, Eren felt very light. He was still inside the ball of swirling purple energy but the pathway was gone; he was merely floating. A figure began to form from the swirling purple in front of him. As it became more defined, Eren could tell that it was…

            “Avatar Ilse?” he whispered. “How are you…?”

            “Eren,” her voice rang out. “It’s time you’ve taken control of your power and the fate of the world. I give you this; use it wisely.” She held out her hand and Eren eagerly grasped it. The moment his skin brushed the energy, he felt a shock and then the rush of raw power and energy. He sensed his spirit moved as it rushed to reunite with his body back on Earth with Marco. A second later, he was slammed back into his body and glowing eyes flew opened.

            The power of the Avatar State coursed through every cell of Eren’s being and he felt…alive. He glanced around, surveying his surroundings. There seemed to be no threat nearby so Eren relaxed his tense body.

            “E-Eren,” Marco called out hesitantly. “Eren, come out of the Avatar State if you can. Pull yourself out.”

            Eren turned to face Marco with his glowing eyes and thought to himself carefully. “How do I get out of this? Is there a certain phrase I say? Do I have to think: normal or something?”he wondered aloud. Marco flinched as Eren spoke; the voice of all the previous Avatars was intimidating. Eren chuckled to himself before speaking again. “I wish I could just say stop and-“Immediately, Eren’s eyes stopped glowing and the feeling of power vanished from his essence.

            “Eren?” Marco asked again.

            “Yeah Marco?” he answered in a single voice to the other’s relief.

            “It worked. The word “stop” is the trigger. When you say that, you leave the Avatar State. Be sure to remember that okay?” Eren nodded and stood for nearly a second before falling again. His limbs felt like heavy, cooked noodles.

            “Ugh, I can’t walk,” Eren complained. He tried to move his leg but found himself unable to do even that. “Scratch that, I don’t think I can even move.”

            Marco let out a loud, booming laugh. “Of course you can’t move! You just unlocked all your chakras and temporarily controlled the Avatar State. You need to rest for at least 12 hours now. I’ll help you get back to our barrack though so you don’t sleep here.”

            “Thanks Marco! And not just for this, for everything. You and I have to hang out together more after the battle. I’d like to get to know you more, and not the guru Marco. I want to know the Marco that somehow enabled an asshole to love,” Eren declared seriously.

            “Eren, Jean’s honestly not that bad. Just talk to him,” Marco argued as he slipped an arm under Eren’s shoulder and hefted him up.

            “Because of everything you’ve done for me, I’ll give him a chance,” Eren conceded. “But he’s still going to be a horse to me.”

            “That’s just fine,” Marco allowed with a grin as the two began their way back to the barrack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 48 is under the works!!
> 
> Feedback, please?????????????


	48. Goals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Squads and Eren talk about what they want to do after the defeat the Titans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a little bit short; there's a lot of dialogue! The next one will be as well!   
> Enjoy this lil thing!

            “Levi, I’m sure he’s fine. Meditating with Marco always takes some time,” Jean tried to reassure a very worried boyfriend. Levi was sitting in a chair in the common room of the barrack, with an unwavering stare towards the door. It was nearing 1 AM but Levi would not dare to fall asleep without Eren next to him. If he had to wait up all night, he would.

            “I don’t care. I’m waiting for him,” Levi declared for the umpteenth time. As if on cue, the door began to open.

            “Shhh. I think the others are asleep,” Marco whispered as he nudged the door open with his foot. Levi squinted slightly to better adjust his eyes to the light coming into the barrack.

            “Eren? Is that you?” Levi whispered to the intruders.

            “Levi?” came a tired response. Marco shut the door gently and the pair finally came into view. Levi gasped as he saw Eren’s nearly limp form leaning heavily on Marco’s arm.

            “What the fuck, Eren are you alright? What happened? Are you hurt?” Levi rambled, his protective instinct kicking in. He easily swept the younger off his feet and into his arms.

            “It’s a funny story really,” Eren whispered with an odd smile on his face. “I got to walk on a purple path! Ha ha, purple and path; they both start with ‘p’. Isn’t that fantastic?” Eren laughed again before he rested his head on Levi’s shoulder and began to snore.

            “Marco, what the hell is wrong with him?” Levi hissed.

            Marco, wrapped up in embracing Jean, quickly stepped back to answer Levi’s question. “Huh? Oh right! I’m sure he’ll tell you tomorrow what we did throughout the day but it left him drained and slightly unstable. I took him to the infirmary and got him some laughing gas. He’ll sleep through the night like a rock and wake up better.” Levi nodded and bid his farewell to the guru before walking Eren down the back hall to their bedroom. 

            He wasn’t far enough to _not_ hear Marco and Jean however. “Take your clothes off right now or I swear it’ll be a rough night for you Jean,” Levi heard Marco growl. Before he could hear anymore, Levi quickly ran to their room and shut the door behind him. Eren was still snoring softly against Levi’s shoulder and the shorter smiled.

            “You’re cute when you sleep, you know that?” Levi whispered into Eren’s ear as he carried him over to their bed. He stripped Eren of his boots first, then pants, and then finally his shirt.  Then Levi tucked him into the bed. After stripping to his boxers as well, Levi climbed in behind Eren. He wrapped his arms around the younger’s waist and held him close. “Good night Eren.”

-X-

            The next morning, Eren woke slowly in his bed…which didn’t make sense. The last place he was remembered being at was the infirmary with Marco. Eren ignored his thoughts and finally noticed that there was a pair of cool arms wrapped around his middle. With a smile, Eren rolled over to see Levi resting next to him. His eyes were open and he stared at Eren with a small smile.

            “Well well, looks like Sleeping Beauty himself decided to wake,” Levi teased lightly. Eren grinned and nudged Levi’s shoulder with his head gently.

            “How’d I get here? I only remember the infirmary,” Eren asked.

            “Marco brought you here. You were pretty fucking high, for lack of a better word. You kept talking about a purple path and laughing at its alliteration,” Levi deadpanned.

            “Good god, I did sound high,” Eren marveled.

            “What happened yesterday? What did you achieve with Marco?” Levi asked softly as he rolled onto his back.

            “I unlocked my chakras. Those are like pools of energy in your body. When they’re blocked your energy can’t flow so for the Avatar, I don’t have control over the Avatar State. I cleared them all, or unlocked them, therefore I now have control of the Avatar State.” Eren laughed as he watched Levi’s eyes steadily widen as he explained the day’s events.

            “Holy shit Eren; that’s incredible! We’ll need to have you practice with all four elements while you’re in that state so we can better predict how to battle with you if you come back earlier than expected.” Levi genuinely smiled and ran a hand through his hair. “When we’re together in the Spirit World to beat those goddamn fuck-monsters, it’ll be even easier now.”

            “Wait,” Eren interrupted. “What do you mean ‘when we’re together in the Spirit World’? I’m going alone.”

            Levi turned his head to Eren, his smile gone. “No you’re not. I’m coming with you.”

            “Levi, they need you here,” Eren argued. “You can’t come with me.”

            “Eren, I’m coming with you whether you like it or not. The others will be fine without me. End of discussion,” Levi declared. The two laid there, the tension thick, without speaking aloud to each other. Finally, after sitting in silence for nearly 30 minutes, Levi got up to leave the bed. Eren whipped his hand out and grabbed his wrist.

            “Wait, Levi.” The older turned back to look at him with hard eyes. “I-I’m sorry.”

            Levi’s eyes softened as Eren apologized and he took Eren’s hand into his own. “You don’t have to do everything on your own,” he whispered. “I love you so I’m always going to be there with you. Now come on, we have to get ready to train now.” Levi walked into the bathroom and Eren let out a breath. He had always been a shitty liar but he was thankful that Levi hadn’t caught this one.

            “Eren! I was being serious; get your ass in here!” came a shout from the bathroom. Eren pushed his lie from his mind and ran to the bathroom. The pair only took a 20 minutes to get ready and soon both men were on their way out of the bedroom and into the main barrack. Squads Levi and Dita were lounging around on their beds talking amongst themselves. Krista waved Eren and Levi over when she spotted them near the door.

            “Good morning Eren! Good morning Captain!” her soft voice rang out happily.

            “Good morning Krista,” Eren replied. “What are you guys doing?”

            “Nothing really,” Armin told his best friend. “We were talking about what we want to do after we beat the Titans. Apparently there’s a spirit who created a library and buried it in the desert! I want to set off to find it!”

            “Of course Armin wants to find a library rather than focus on his girlfriend,” Ymir smirked. “ _I_ want to treat my Krista to a trip to the Air Temples with Jean and Marco. I know how much she’s been dreaming of doing that.” Krista flushed a bright red as she tried to stammer a retort.

            “I want to start my own school to teach new gurus at the Southern Air Temple!” Marco chattered out excitedly.

            “I want to take Marco to the Northern Water Tribe before we go south so he can meet my annoying, pain in the ass mother,” Jean spoke with a slight grin. The group laughed briefly before Mikasa spoke up.

            “I want to go to the Fire Nation to see if there are any Ackerman’s who could be my relatives other than Captain Levi,” she delivered. “Who knows? I might be royalty!” The group laughed again before Sasha stood up and stomped hard on the ground.

            “I want to restart the Earth Rumble Tournaments! I want to fight where the legendary Blind Bandit fought!” she shouted out. A loud cheer went up and Connie stood to join her.

            “I want to start a sport that all the elements can participate in and isn’t that hard to learn! I already have a name for it; I’m going to call it Pro-Bending.” Connie puffed his chest out and placed his hands on his hips, all while wearing a triumphant grin on his face.

            “What about you Thomas?” Armin spoke up.

            “Me? Oh, I just want to go back to my old town and see my mom,” he admitted shyly. “I know she’s been worried about me since I haven’t written a letter in a few days.”

            “I have Avatar duties so that’s what I’ll mainly be doing afterwards,” Eren shrugged.

            “What about in peacetime, you dolt? Then what’re you going to do?” Jean asked.

            “Don’t call me a dolt! But I guess I’ll be with Levi. Oh! I know!” Eren exclaimed. “I’ll go look for a pet dragon! I know there are still a few around in the depths of the Fire Nation!”

            “Aww that’s awesome!” Sasha whined slightly.

            “Looks like us three are all going to the Fire Nation,” Levi spoke.

            “What do you mean?” Eren and Mikasa asked simultaneously.

            “I’m going back as well to my house. Technically my mother’s house, but she left it to me. Finally, it’s been turned over to me as my property so I can move in and shit. That’s where I’ll be going. Oh and Mikasa, if you’re looking for Ackerman’s, I can help you out,” Levi said nonchalantly. The group looked at Levi in shock before beginning to shout questions towards him.

            “You have a house?!”

            “Your last name is Ackerman?!”

            “You lived in the Fire Nation?!”

            Levi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You sound so surprised that I’m an actual person,” he said loudly over the various questions. “Also who the hell asked about my last name? That’s literally public knowledge that Mikasa and I share a last name.”

            “Captain Levi?” Armin began hesitantly.

            “What is it, Arlet?”

            “Do you still have your tsungi horn, sir?” Levi widened his eyes in shock slightly.

            “Yeah I do. Why?”

            “I was thinking about throwing a mini music night the night before battle. It’ll be nice to hang out together before…” The unspoken words still settled on everyone’s hearts.

            “I swear, Hanji put you up to this didn’t she. That crazy woman and her shitty goggles,” he groaned.

            “Would you do it Captain? Please?” Armin pleaded.

            “No.”

            “Levi, I hate to do this,” Eren began.

            “Eren shut the fuck up.” Levi hissed.

            “But it seems,”

            “Eren I’m warning you.”

            “Since I am Avatar,” Eren continued.

            “I will not talk to you for the rest of the day if you don’t shut up right now.”

            “It appears,”

            “ _Eren!”_

            “That I outrank you!” Eren declared triumphantly while Levi looked mortified. “Therefore I order you to play your tsungi horn, and play it well I might add, on music night.”

            Levi grit his teeth before muttered a response.

            “I’m sorry I didn’t catch that,” Eren mused.

            “For fuck’s sake, I said ‘yes sir’.” Levi then grabbed Eren’s ear and began to drag him out of the room. “Time for your training, smartass.”

            “Agh! Guys help me!” Eren shouted desperately.

            “Sorry Eren! He outranks us!” Armin shouted back as the rest of the group laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 49 is underway!
> 
> Feedback pls?


	49. The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Music night and shenanigans!! also smut. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good times between our lil trio of eggs occur.  
> Be aware! There is a time change! In the story it is May 9, the night before the battle.  
> This chapter was not supposed to be this long but I got carried away. It is not beta (per usual) so let me know if there are any atrocious errors.
> 
> Also smut. :) Btw, this is the last chapter with smut involved. It may be mentioned later but it won't be in detail!
> 
> Enjoy these idiots!

            Although there were only two weeks between the days when Eren had successfully opened his chakras and May 10, Eren didn’t think he had ever worked harder. He managed to become an advanced firebender and very proficient in the Avatar State. But when the end of those two weeks came, Eren wished he had more time. He wanted more time to train, to spend with his friends, and to spend personally with Levi.

            “Hello? Eren?” Said man blinked and took in his surroundings. He was on a walk with Armin and an annoyed Mikasa. “This is our last day before battle,” she complained. “At least try to stay engaged with us.”

            “Sorry,” he meekly apologized. “It’s just hard not to let my mind wander about things I wanted to get done before today.”

            “That’s understandable but you should focus on things you still _can_ do,” Armin pointed out. They continued to walk down the familiar beat up path to the waterfall in a comfortable silence. Once they reached the waterfall, Eren bended the water away from the earthen wall behind it to reveal the trio’s secret hideaway: a cave. They climbed in and Eren let the water flow normally, covering the entrance.

            “I love this little cave we found,” Mikasa sighed, visibly relaxed. “It reminds me of Shiganshina. Do you guys remember all the good times we had before that day?”

            Armin let his legs rest on the wall while he laid on his back. “I remember how Grandpa would jokingly scold you guys if you came into the kitchen with your shoes on. Then he’d offer some snacks.”

            Eren laughed softly as he reminisced. “I remember how the first time you came to our house with your grandpa, my mom made her signature soup and he nearly died because of heavenly it was.” The small blonde laughed and smiled.

            “He always did love that soup. Do you guys remember that book I had?”

            “The one about the world before the Titans or the one about the Spirit World?” Mikasa asked. “Because I do remember the one about the Spirit World. Since we’ve been to the Spirit World, you can tell the author hasn’t; it was really inaccurate.”

            “I remember the Titan one,” Eren admitted.

            “Of course you would; your brain is basically wired to fighting Titans or fucking Levi,” Mikasa joked. Eren playfully shoved her away and blushed.

            “It is not wired to that!” Eren squeaked. “W-we haven’t even done anything like that yet…”

            “Your ears are red,” Armin noted aloud deviously.

            “I’m not lying!”

            “And would you look at that! The ears are getting steadily redder!”

            “Wait. You mean to say that Eren’s lost his virginity? Already?” Mikasa exclaimed.

            “I HAVEN’T LOST ANYTHING!” Eren shouted. “Well…”

            “Well what Eren?” Armin grinned.

            Eren sighed. Armin dug a hole and put him in it. “Not completely but I guess you could say I lost part of it.”

            “Part of it?” Mikasa pressed.

            “Alright! I gave Levi a blowjob, okay! I sucked him off,” Eren revealed with a crimson face.

            Mikasa’s face paled and Armin erupted in laughter. The small blond pounded his fist on the ground as the silence between Eren and Mikasa lengthened. As he wiped tears from his face, Mikasa began to speak.

            “My…my cheeks. You’ve kissed my cheeks lately. With the same lips you sucked Levi off with,” she whispered. Suddenly, her face flushed with pale pink as she grinned at her brother. “Ew Eren, that’s so disgusting. I hope you brushed your teeth afterwards. But to more pressing matters- he hasn’t fucked you yet? What’s he waiting for?”

            “Y-You’re not upset? What the fuck! I that you’d be livid!” Eren gasped.

            “No I’m not mad. You’re 18 now plus, you need to get laid. Like pronto.”

            “Please, it’s not like you’ve gotten laid either,” Eren stated. Mikasa blushed again and looked away. “No. No no no no no no!  You’ve lost your virginity? Already! How? When? Who?” Mikasa was silent for a moment, cursing herself for bringing it up. “Armin can you believe this? My little sister! My little Mika! Already having sex!” Armin had flushed as well and stayed silent.

            “Armin?”

            “I’m not so innocent here either, man,” he finally admitted. Eren faced his sister and best friend with an open mouth.

            “Then… Then was Annie your first?” The blond shook his head.

            “Armin,” Mikasa finally said aloud. “Armin was my first. I was his. We had sex. It was when we were in Trost and you were unconscious. I was upset and crying and Armin came to comfort me and then things…escalated.”

            Eren sat with a hand over his mouth and eyes wide as he pointed at them. “Y-You two? T-together?” he whispered through his hand. He looked directly at Armin and said, “You banged my sister!” Then he turned to Mikasa. “And you let him? What world am I living in?”

            “Don’t worry! We both agreed it meant nothing and that it’s never going to happen again!” Armin quickly tried to assure Eren. “Besides, I have Annie now; got to stay true to her, right?”

            Eren’s eyes opened even wider. “Wait a goddamn second. If Mikasa’s gotten fucked by you, Armin, then that means I’m the only virgin in our trio! No fair!”

            “Just tell us when it happens,” Mikasa waved it off. “Before this awful conversation came up, what were we even talking about?”

            “Shiganshina before we left,” Armin replied. “I remember the day we met and Eren beat up a bully who was hitting me. Sorry Eren but it was only after Mikasa came and kicked their asses that they really started leaving me alone.”

            “No way! I totally intimidated them!” Eren retorted. The three chuckled as they all calmed down a bit. A calm silence fell upon them for a few minutes before Armin spoke again.

            “Did you hear about what’s happening in town?”

            “Yes. They’re evacuating citizens. The King’s going to be down here right?” Mikasa asked.

            “I think so, along with his staff,” Armin said. “That means your fath- I mean Grisha, is going to be here.” Eren hummed softly but did not speak. “Eren-“

            “Don’t do it Armin,” Eren warned.

            “When are you going to make things right between you and your father? He’s apologized and told you the whole truth. Why are you still punishing him?”

            “I have to hurt him like he’s hurt me. I can’t forgive him yet.”

            “Eren,” Armin began sternly. “You can bet damn well that Mikasa and I want you to come back alive and well but there is _always_ that possibility that it won’t happen. If you want to tell him that you forgive him, it has to be now. Or else he’ll think you’ve hated him all your life.”

            “I’ll figure something out, okay? Leave it be for now,” Eren pleaded.

            “Alright, fine. I’ll let it go. “Armin paused for a minute before continuing. “We still have a few hours before Music Night starts. What do you want to do?”

            “How about a fair round of Earth, Air, Fire, Water?” Mikasa offered. Both boys nodded in agreement and the game began with a flick to Eren’s forehead.

-X-

            When 8:00 came around, Levi groaned but walked over to his shared closet. Within a minute, he wrapped his hand around the familiar cold, smooth curve of his tsungi horn. As Levi squatted down and examined the instrument, he realized that he hadn’t touched it in quite literally _months._ He blew into the horn briefly and nodded when the sound came out strong and loud. He stood up straight and left his room, making his way to Hanji’s abandoned barrack: the location of Armin’s music night.

            When he finally reached the barrack, Levi let out another groan. Apparently the invitation was extended to the entire base. “Sly little coconut shit,” he grumbled. Levi snuck into the barrack using a back door to avoid anyone seeing him. He walked into the large common room and found to his surprise, Reiner and Bertolt floating near a make-shift stage.

            “Reiner? Bertolt? What are you guys doing here?” Levi called out to the two spirits.

            Reiner addressed Levi first. “Oh hey! Armin was talking to Annie the other day and we heard something about a music night. We’ve got to play for you guys a little bit; get a spiritual vibe going.” He glanced down at the instrument in Levi’s arms. “Oh cool! Do you play the tsungi horn? I play the Pipa and Bertolt plays the flute but he can make really good beats with just his mouth.”

            “Say, do you want to form a band?” Levi proposed.

-X-

            Eren could hear the shouts of glee from across the large cavern. The trio managed to squeeze themselves into Hanji’s crowded barrack and looked around for their friends. The barrack was dark and hot with the multiple bodies pressing against each other. Most people were in the center of the common room, turning it into a dancefloor. Loud music was blasting above all other sounds but it sounded different. It sounded good.

            “Armin!” Eren shouted. “Where’s Levi? Can you see him?” The blond pointed to the small stage and Eren spun around. He found his beloved on stage, sweating slightly but grinning as he played his tsungi horn with ferocity. He wasn’t playing alone either, two other people were with him. With a jolt, Eren realized that the two others were none other than Reiner and Bertolt.

            “Isn’t that Bertolt and Reiner?” Mikasa shouted next to him. “What are they doing here?”

            “Does it matter? Their music sounds awesome!” Armin nearly squealed from excitement. “Let’s go dance!” Armin pulled a laughing Mikasa and Eren to the floor near Jean and Marco. The three started dancing happily and enjoying themselves as the great songs continued. Eren tripped over numerous pairs of feet as he moved around but he didn’t care. He was too far gone in the moment of happiness; it felt like it’d last forever.

            As the hours passed by, Eren slowly felt his senses return to him. He began to blush as he realized some of the ways he danced that night had been strictly forbidden back at home. It felt like his mother’s sharp glare was on him wherever Eren went after that. But when Eren turned around, he found it wasn’t his mother’s glare but Levi’s. He smirked as he saw the frustration in the other’s eyes. He decided to tease Levi more so Eren slowed his dancing to make it look more sensual. He locked eyes with Levi as he dragged one hand down his chest. Levi stopped playing briefly to lick his lips. Eren grinned and ran another hand down his chest, clawing slightly. Luckily for Levi, the song the band was playing just finished. Eren watched happily as the order confronted Reiner and Bertolt and gestured for Eren to follow him.

            “Eren!” Armin yelled to him, bringing him out of his lustful ravine. “You want to get some drinks with Mikasa and me?”

            “No. I’m leaving now,” Eren said calmly. He smirked to himself before leaning down to Armin’s ear. “And stay out of 104 for a few hours.” Armin’s face flashed in sly understanding and bid Eren a good night whilst laughing.

            Eren walked out of the packed common room through the corridor he saw Levi go through, There was a door partially wedged opened so Eren slipped through it. Unsurprisingly, he felt strong hands slam him back into wall. He opened his eyes to see his love. Levi’s usually tidy hair was beginning to get messy and his pupils were full blown in lust.

            “You’re such a dirty boy, you know that?” Levi practically hissed before claiming Eren’s lips. They kissed each other passionately and Levi took control quickly. He ran his tongue along Eren’s bottom lip and the other opened with a soft moan. “Giving me those looks,” Levi managed between kisses. “That dance. You must…want me to…fuck you senseless.”

            “Mm mm! Yes Levi, I want that!” Eren moaned back. Without warning, Eren swept Levi up into his arms, getting ready to bolt into their empty barrack. Their clothed erections brushed against each other in the simple movement and both let out groan of pleasure. Making sure Levi was comfortable, Eren ran faster than the wind to their barrack. They made it in three seconds and Eren slammed the door behind them. Levi was attacking his mouth one again. Eren let his hands roam over Levi’s body, settling for leaving them around his neck. Levi ran his through Eren’s hair to pull him closer than they already were. He moaned when the older pressed his tongue onto Eren’s.

            Saliva dripped down Eren’s chin but he paid no attention. He _did_ pay attention to his hard dick that he felt already beginning to moisten. He slid a hand away from Levi’s neck and trailed down. He easily pulled Levi’s shirt up and let his fingers run over the already pert nipples. “Hahhhhh,” Levi breathed out sharply as he drew back from the sloppy kiss. Eren grew bolder and rolled a nipple between his fingers. Levi jerked to the touch and moaned again. Eren felt Levi’s hands move from his hair down his body. His fingers flinched as Levi began palming him through his pants.

            “Ahhhh Levi! That feels s-so good,” Eren stuttered out in pleasure. He let out another moan as Levi turned his attention from Eren’s lips to his neck and began to suck. Levi slid his hand to the top of Eren’s boxers and playfully let his hand linger. “L-Levi,” Eren whined. With almost a growl, Levi’s hand darted down and grabbed Eren’s hard and leaking cock. Eren arched of the door in pleasure and groaned. Levi used his free hand to grab Eren’s shirt and pull him towards their bedroom.

            Clothes flew off the moment the lock was turned. Levi yanked Eren’s shirt and pants off before he pushed him down onto the large bed. He threw his shirt onto the ground as well and let his eyes wonder over Eren’s body. “So fucking beautiful,” he muttered. “And it’s all mine.”

            “Levi!” Eren whimpered. “Please!”

            “Please what Eren? Tell me what you want me do.”

            “Touch me!” Levi grinned and placed another hard kiss to Eren’s lips as his hands trailed down to Eren’s boxers. In one tug, he slid them off the boy and began to fondle his balls. Eren jolted and whined from the waves of pleasure racking his body. He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands so he moved them to Levi’s firm ass and kneaded it. Levi let out a small sigh and closed his eyes.

            “There you go Eren. You’re being such a good boy, maybe I should reward you soon.” Levi’s deep, lustful voice whispered. Eren nodded frantically and threw his head back as Levi moved his hand to start stroking his base while sucking hard on Eren’s neck. Eren gasped and slid his hands under Levi’s boxers, trying to push him down. He needed more friction as the heat in his gut increased. Levi’s hand moved faster and Eren fucked it earnestly. He was almost there.

            “L-Levi! I’m gonna-!” Eren began.

            “Not yet you are,” Levi ordered. He grasped the base of Eren’s cock tightly and watched the brunette’s twisted face.

            “L-Levi! No! I want to come!”

            “You’re going to come when I’m fucking you,” Levi declared. With his free hand, he opened his night table drawer and pulled out a bottle of oil. Sure that Eren wouldn’t come, he began slicking his fingers up. As he rubbed Eren’s sensitive entrance, Levi looked him in the eye. “I want you to call me Captain or Sir tonight, understood?” Eren nodded and gave a weak salute.

            “Yes Sir!” Levi’s dick twitched as he heard Eren and without warning, he pressed in to the knuckle of his index finger. But Eren’s hole seemed, _used_ to the intrusion.

            “Eren, have you been fingering yourself?”

            Eren blushed but looked at Levi through hooded eyes. “I do, Sir! I think about you when I do it. I can take it,” he breathed.

            Levi began to stretch Eren’s hole as he spoke to him. “Such a good little slut I have. Always so eager for me.” Levi pressed a second finger in gently as he continued to speak. “My little horny slut; always begging me for my cock.” Eren thrust his hips down to meet Levi’s fingers and moaned.

            “M-more Captain! Please, I want more!” Eren whimpered. Levi smirked but added the third and final finger. He pressed Eren’s walls, in search of that little bundle of nerves. He curled his fingers slightly and smirked as Eren immediately screamed in pleasure. “NGHHH! RIGHT THERE!” Levi licked his lips and pulled his fingers out of the boy. Eren glared at Levi the moment he felt the loss of fingers.

            “Look at you, keening over my fingers alone,” Levi growled as he coated his dick with a generous amount of lube. HE positioned himself at Eren’s entrance and intertwined their hands. “You’ll be moaning like a whore when it’s my cock.” Without another word of warning, Levi sunk his entire length into Eren’s warm, wet hole. “S-shit”

            “Ooooh C-Captain! F-fuck!” Levi watched Eren’s face as he took time to adjust to the new feeling of having a cock shoved up his ass,

            “Can I move?” Levi whispered in a strained voice. Eren waited another minute before nodding.

            “Go slow at first.” Levi nodded and merely rolled his hips. “AHHH CAPTAIN!” Levi moved his hips out slowly and snapped them in a sharp thrust, making Eren keen with pleasure. “F-faster!” Levi smirked and happily indulged the brunette, snapping his hips forward faster. Levi bent down, nearly bending Eren in half, and sloppily captured Eren’s bruised lips again. He swallowed nearly all of Eren’s loud moans as the pace increased. Levi suddenly drew away and lifted Eren’s leg over his right shoulder. He slammed in to him, directly hitting his prostate and sent Eren nearly over the edge.

            “F-FUCK! NGHHHH! S-SIR!” Eren moaned wantonly. “HARDER! HARDER! FUCK ME HARDER- AHHHH!” Levi let out a long moan as he slammed into Eren and felt his walls tighten.

            “Go ahead Eren. Come for me,” Levi whispered loud enough for Eren to just barely hear.

            “C-CAPTAIN! I-I’M-“Eren threw his head back in a loud moan as his come painted his stomach and chest. His intense orgasm left Eren feeling weak and tired but Levi, not having reached release yet, continued to slam into Eren, making him writhe in pleasure. Eren squeezed his hole tightly around Levi and with a final thrust, Levi shuddered and came hard, shouting Eren’s name.

            He pulled out and collapsed next to Eren. The younger made no attempt to cuddle so Levi glanced over. He smiled gently as he found that Eren was already asleep. Reluctantly, Levi got off the bed and walked to get a wet towel. He cleaned himself off before walking back into room and cleaning Eren off as well. He cleaned off his stomach, chest, and between his legs. Somewhere along the way, Eren opened his eyes and smiled faintly at Levi.

            “My ass is going to hurt so fucking much tomorrow,” Eren complained lightly, his voice sore from screaming.

            Levi laughed and tossed the towel on the floor before he crawled into bed and pulled Eren close. “I told you I’d fuck you senseless.” Levi kissed the top of Eren’s head before he closed his eyes and pressed his head against his shoulder. “I love you Eren.”

            “I love you too Levi. I always will,” Eren whispered back before he dozed off again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 50 is underway! and it might take a couple days cause its hella long.
> 
> Feedback pls? Thanks for reading!


	50. Titan Invasion part 1- May 10, 787

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final day has come. There's nothing else to do but take action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jfc i'm being really lax lately.... i was going to make this one giant chapter but then i was like nahhhhh so it's in parts!!!
> 
> Just wanted to give a heads up!! This fic is probably going to have 4 more chapters and then it's done ;w; 
> 
> Enjoy!!

Like Eren thought the night before, his lower back was incredibly sore and uncomfortable when he rose the next morning. He groaned as he came out of the shower but managed to walk over to their closet without asking for Levi’s help. As he opened the closet, he glanced at all his various outfits. They each held a good memory. All of them, except his armor. He remembered the shrieks and cries of terror as people were fleeing for their lives. He remembered the smell of Trost burning, the blood that was spilt, and the friends he made who had died. Eren flinched out of his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder. His head snapped around to find Levi staring at him, eyebrows slightly raised.

  
“Are you alright? You seemed a little lost just now,” Levi asked. Eren turned his attention back to the armor and sighed.

  
“The last time I wore armor into battle, it all went to hell. I don’t want that to happen again,” Eren finally said.

  
“If you don’t want to wear heavy armor, I have some lighter ones. You can use it if you’d like,” Levi offered. He maneuvered his way to the back of the closet and pulled out a small black, hard, leather vest. He handed it to Eren and shrugged. “Put on your other clothes first, then slid this over. It was a little too large on me so it should fit you like a glove.” Levi grabbed his regular red shirt and loose pants. He took time to properly lace up his skin tight boots and was sure to tuck in his pants. While Levi dressed, Eren also got into his battle clothes. He slipped on a sleeveless white shirt and baggy white pants with a green belt. Deciding that his earthbending flats wouldn’t be a wise choice, Eren took a pair of boots from Levi’s side of the closet. He slid his feet and pants in before lacing it up tightly. Eren roughly shoved the leather vest over his head and onto his chest. Like Levi said, it fit him nicely.

  
Eren turned to face his boyfriend and grinned as he watched him struggle to put on his own armor. He was trying to force on a leather vest similar to the one he gave Eren. After much grumbling and multiple attempts, Levi finally managed to force his head through. His hair was messy and uneven after his struggle but Levi didn’t really care. He glanced at Eren and saw him trying to hide his giggles. “Oh well fuck you too Jaeger; laughing at me all this time. That was not easy to get on, mind you.” Eren only smiled and closed the distance between them. He placed a soft, gentle kiss to Levi’s lips and took his hand.

  
Eren led them both out of their bedroom and to the common room of the barracks. The others were there, finishing putting on armor. No one said a word as they prepared themselves. Eren watched Mikasa and Armin carefully. They seemed incredibly tense but their emotions did not show it. Mikasa wrapped her favorite, ratty, red scarf around her neck and swept her hair back behind her shoulders. Armin tied a light piece of armor around his chest and grabbed his staff. Eren turned his attention to the others in the room. They all seemed tense as well. Ymir and Krista were muttering to each other, no doubt declarations of love for each other, outside of Eren’s hearing range. Sasha and Connie sat on their beds, ready to fight but each had a haunting look in their eyes. Jean was whispering to Marco reassurances, most likely because he was the only non-bender among them.

  
Levi cleared his throat and gathered everyone’s attention. “I can tell that you are all scared. Scared that it may be like Shiganshina or Trost. I can tell you right now that it won’t be. All the citizens have been evacuated and the King is coming down as we speak. You can do this. And as head of this barrack, I’m ordering you all to come back alive. Now follow my orders and give your hearts.” Both squads shouted and hit their left chests with their right fists. “Now, let’s move out and greet the King.” They all nodded and hurriedly finished dressing or followed Levi and Eren as they made their way to the door. They walked out of the barrack and down the familiar path towards the lifts. A large lift was coming down and Levi was able to see neat, blond hair. He smirked briefly before saluting. Eren and the others did the same.

  
When the lift came to a stop, the Earth King, Erwin, and a few others stepped off. Erwin excused himself from the King to briefly address the soldiers. “Jean and Marco! You will stay in HQ to protect the King and his company from harm. Squad Levi! You all will go above ground now. Make your way to the Inner Wall and wait for my further instructions. Squad Dita; make your way to the Middle Ring’s Wall and be prepared to fight. You are the vanguard; you will encounter the Titans first. Your squad leader is already there waiting for you. Avatar Eren! I give you discretion to make your own decisions in battle. When you feel it is deemed appropriate for you to leave, go ahead. The military of Ba Sing Se is available to us. We can use them to help us fight.” Erwin took a deep breath before continuing. “Should any of you lose your lives in the line of duty, you have my respect and sincere gratitude for your service. You deploy in 5 minutes; dismissed.”

  
The soldiers nodded firmly while holding their salute for another moment. Once Erwin turned his back though, they looked to each other with worried looks. Eren looked down at the ground and grit his teeth as Armin’s words from the night before rang through his head. Without any more consideration, Eren stepped forward towards the King and his company. “Grisha,” he called out. Immediately, said man came over to Eren.

  
“Yes Eren? What is it?”

  
“I… I need to tell you something,” Eren began slowly. Grisha nodded, allowing him to continue. “I need to tell you that-“

  
“Where is Avatar Eren!” a familiar voice shouted. Eren whipped his head around to find Annie dropping from quite literally nowhere. She landed on her feet and looked around frantically. Once her eyes landed on him, she ran over and grabbed his arm. “We need to leave now. The other humans should as well.” Eren nodded and turned his attention back to his father.

  
“I will tell you when I return,” he ended simply. Then, Eren addressed the wondering soldiers. “HEY! Listen up! It’s time to leave. We don’t have the luxury of 5 minutes anymore! We deploy now!” They nodded grimly but began to make their ways to the lifts. Levi chose to stand next to Eren as the lift rose and grabbed his hand. He didn’t say anything aloud but Eren already understood the silent message. As they reached the surface, Ymir, Krista, and Thomas bid their farewell and began to make their way to the Middle Ring Wall. Eren made his way to follow Annie but before he could, he felt someone tug on his arm. He glanced behind him to tug his arm back but found that it was Mikasa and Armin.

  
“Eren,” she all but whispered. “Please, come back alive.”

  
“We need you,” Armin quietly admitted.

  
“I promise,” Eren replied. He grinned and pulled them both into a tight, quick hug. “I have to go now alright?” Mikasa nodded into his shoulder while Armin pushed him away slightly. She adjusted her scarf slightly before beginning to walk towards the Inner Wall. Armin lingered slightly longer but just sent a final nod before following Mikasa. Eren turned away and looked to Annie. “I’m ready.”

  
“Follow me then,” she ordered. Eren fell into line behind her. As he walked, he heard another set of footsteps behind him. He didn’t need to turn back to know that Levi was coming with him. He let out a small sigh but continued to look ahead. Annie led them to a tall, earthen, tan house. “We need to get to the rooftop.” Eren stomped on the ground and raised the earth below all of their feet. Within only a few seconds, they were on the rooftop. Annie stepped to the middle and raised her hands while closing her eyes. There was a gust of wind as Annie concentrated.

  
“Eren,” Levi spoke up. The younger man turned to face him. “Do you have a plan in mind for how we are going to take out the titan called Beast?”

  
Eren swallowed but spoke quickly. “I do, I’ll fill you in once we cross over.” Levi nodded and watched Annie again. A small hole was beginning to grow in front of her: a portal. It continued to grow and expand until it was about Annie’s height. She opened her eyes and shouted to Eren while keeping her arms up.

  
“I’m going to cross first, then you and Levi. Seal the portal once everyone is in!” Eren nodded and watched her carefully step through worlds. Once she was safely on the other side, Eren pulled Levi into a tight hug and pressed his lips to the older man’s. Levi momentarily froze in shock before melting into the kiss.

  
“Eren?” he asked uncertainly as they broke apart.  
“Levi, I love you with my whole being and I will always love you no matter what happens to me. I know you’re my soulmate, you complete me in every way possible.”

  
“Why does it sound like you’re saying goodbye?” Levi asked in a rush.

  
“You can’t come with me,” Eren finally delivered, loud and clear. Levi’s eyes were blown wide open. He tried to take a step past Eren but found his feet wouldn’t budge. He glanced down to see that his feet trapped in a block of bended earth.

  
“E-Eren? What are you…Why are you…W-We talked about this! I’m coming too!” Levi yelled.

  
“Levi! You can’t come with me. I won’t be able to fight to the best of my ability without worrying about you. Stay here, they need you more.”

  
“But I need you too! I need to know that you’re going to be alright. I need to know that everything isn’t going to fall apart. I need to…I-I have to!” Levi stumbled over his words as his eyes turn glassy and voice quivered in panic and desperation.

  
“I’ll be fine. I promise I’ll be okay,” Eren replied with a tone of finality. He turned and took his first step to the portal.

  
“Don’t you walk away from me Eren Jaeger! Let me out of this! I’m coming with you!” Levi shouted. His pleas fell on deaf ears as Eren placed on leg through the portal and continued to walk through. Levi struggled and heated his feet with flames, trying to break free from his constraints. “Eren! Please!” But Eren was already through the gateway. Levi’s restraints crumbled as Eren departed. It was as if time slowed and Levi just stopped while he watched Eren place his hand against the portal and seal it. “NO!” Levi screamed in frustration. In one bright flash, the portal Annie created was gone.

  
But Levi was still on the rooftop, alone.

-X-

Although it was still morning, the sky turned a dark gray as clouds gathered and blocked the sun out. Soldiers were bustling about on the wall, preparing defense boulders. Nearly everyone glanced over to the lifts when they heard the familiar sound of rock sliding against rock. No one dared to approach Captain Levi as he walked calmly along the Inner Wall, not even his own squad. The only one with enough courage to face the short man’s calm façade was the Commander as he excused himself from speaking with a military general.

  
“Levi?” Erwin called as he walked over to the other man. “What are you doing here? I thought you would be with Avatar Eren in the Spirit World right about now, to be honest.”

“Eren sealed me out,” Levi answered with indifference. “I won’t be joining him; I’ll be here fighting with my squad.”

“Levi are you-“

  
“I don’t like the clouds blocking out the sun like this. It looks like it’ll start raining soon. That’ll make visibility low. We’ll need to be extra careful.” Levi turned away from Erwin and sighed as the first drop of rain hit his face.

  
“Levi don’t ignore me. Are you alright? I know you’re putting up an act,” Erwin ordered.

  
“Erwin don’t treat me like an idiotic child. I’m fine,” Levi lied. Erwin squinted his eyes and glared at his friend.

  
“Levi I know that’s bullshit. You’re livid underneath that calm façade. That’s why anyone with common sense is keeping away from you.” Erwin pushed. “I can’t help but feel that this has something to do with your comrades and what happened last year,” Erwin sighed.

  
“Maybe it is! I trusted them and let them go and they ended up dead! I don’t want it happening to Eren because he’s the only one I have left. I just thought that we had agreed to go together. I have to know that he’s going to be okay but he wouldn’t fucking let me come!” Levi angrily hissed. Erwin reached a hand out to pat Levi’s shoulder but Levi shook him off easily.

  
“C-Captain Levi!” Sasha yelled as she stumbled towards him.

  
“What is it Sasha?” Levi scoffed impatiently.

  
“They’re coming! Titans are coming! All of them at once! I can feel the vibrations from here already!” the young brunette cried out.

  
“Do you have an ETA?” Erwin asked, no longer thinking as a concerned friend but rather a stern commander.

  
“I’d have to say 5 minutes at the very most.” Sasha glared intensely at the ground and shut her eyes tightly. “From the feel of it though, it’s going to be awful. It’s like a tsunami wave: the vibrations keep rolling as more Titans keep coming. It’s like their numbers is only increasing!”

  
“Damn it! This is the Inner Wall. If they are this far already, that means that the troops defending the Middle Ring Wall must’ve been decimated.” Levi swore again angrily.

  
“N-no,” Sasha whispered in shock. “Ymir and Krista and Thomas are out there… They can’t be…”

  
Levi grabbed Sasha’s shoulders and gave her a slight shake. “Oi! Don’t go into shock yet. We can’t mourn the fallen until this battle is over.” Levi finally faced Erwin once again, eyes flashing in anger. “What are our orders Commander?”

  
“Man your stations! Prepare the squads! Ba Sing Se Military, be ready to fire the boulders! This is it! We stop the Titans here and now! Don’t let them get past this wall!” Erwin shouted. The soldiers let out a loud war cry and readied themselves for battle.

  
“Commander Erwin! They’re here!” Sasha cried out. As the Commander glared at the ground, his eyes widened only a fraction. Black spirits glowing with a flicker of orange were running directly towards the wall with no signs of stopping. They ran with no sense of self-preservation as Erwin noticed the smaller Titans were being trampled in the frenzy to reach the wall.

  
“FOR THE SAKE OF HUMANITY, GIVE YOUR HEARTS AND STOP THE TITANS HERE!” Erwin screamed. He flung his left arm out, giving the order for all squads to attack. Without a single moment’s hesitation, all members of the Survey Corps ran to the edge of the Inner Wall and jumped of while sounding a battle cry ripped from their throats.

-X-

_40 minutes earlier…_

  
Eren heard Levi shout in protest as he sealed the portal against his wishes. “Damn it; that was harder than I thought I would be,” Eren cussed after a moment. He glanced around to get his bearings. The portal had put them in the middle of a field of waist high grass but the grass had turned a deep black, almost like it had been burned.

  
“Are you ready Eren?” Annie asked gently. Eren turned to face her with a grim and serious expression.

  
“I’m ready,” he answered.

  
“Okay then, follow me.” Annie ducked into grass and began to weave her way through. Eren quickly followed behind her, ignoring to little pinches of pain he felt whenever tough grass would nick his face and draw blood. As he followed Annie, Eren noticed that the grass was suddenly green and alive again.

  
“Hey! Annie! Why’s the grass changing color from green to black every couple meters?” he whispered loud enough for the blonde leading him to hear.

  
“It’s Beast’s footprints. Anywhere he steps withers and dies. His mere presence in this area of the Spirit World causes the sky to darken from its usual blue to this dark, blackish color,” she explained to him. “Eren, do you have a plan in mind for defeating Beast? You won’t be able to wing it; this Titan is the creator and schemer of all the others. He’s a serious threat.”

  
“I don’t know how I’ll do it but I’m going to find a way to throw him in that Fog of Lost Souls. He’ll weather away in there and we won’t be bothered by Titans again.

  
“It’s not going to be that easy Eren!” Annie hissed. “For starters, Beast is a huge fucking Titan! He’s about twice the size of the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. Pushing him in won’t work. And you have to make sure you yourself don’t fall in either. That fog takes anyone and everyone in and doesn’t let them out. The only way to escape is if your mind is powerful enough to clear the fog or if someone powerful enough can pull you out.”

  
“Don’t go underestimating me Annie,” Eren laughed. “I’ll be fine. I know the risks but I also know what I have to do to protect the world. As long as the Titans are wiped out and humanity is safe, I don’t care what happens to me.” Annie glanced back at Eren with wide eyes as she processed exactly what he had just said.

  
“Eren…” she began.

  
“Shush,” Eren ordered, “I thought I heard something, like a faint chant.” Eren crept in front of Annie and closed his eyes. He placed a palm to the ground and sought out any vibrations. Sure enough, he felt a repetitive vibration, like a march of some sort. He opened his eyes and looked to the left of where he was. Sure enough the sky and grass was darkest in that direction. “Stay close to me,” he instructed. Annie nodded and fell into only a step behind Eren as they both crept stealthily towards the source of the vibrations.

  
The pair came across a thick, black bush as they crept further. By now, the chant Eren thought he heard was so loud, it was nearly impossible to ignore. It had only one word-kill- and was spoken by one Titan but it was enough to drive Eren up a wall. He grit his teeth and prepared to stand up but Annie gripped his wrist tightly. “What the fuck are you doing Eren! You have to wait a moment.” She forcibly pulled Eren down again and began to whisper in his ear. “Reiner, Bertolt, and I are all here. You have to wait for us to get into position without compromising our identities. We are going to be in our Titan forms and be seemingly part of the crowd. When you and Beast start fighting, we’ll start wreaking havoc on everything.

  
“Okay, go then,” Eren demanded. “Good luck to you!”

  
“You too,” Annie quickly whispered before she crept into another thick and transformed. In a bright flash of light, a misty, female-like, black Titan body emerged with long, shaggy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Eren watched as Annie snuck into a line of Titans seemingly undetected. He nearly stood to confront Beast when a shudder ran through him.

  
_“Something’s not right here,_ ” Eren thought to himself. “ _The chant… WHERE’S THE CHANT?”_ The entire area had gone eerily silent. And if it was silent then…

  
“ANNIE! GET OUT OF THERE; IT’S NOT SAFE!” Eren shot up and shouted. But he was too late. He watched in shock as Annie’s Titan form crumbled to ash and her spirit body was lifted up in a firm grasp from a large, misty, black hand. Her form was limp as the hand rose higher and higher. Eren’s eyes left the limp body and followed the impossibly long arm that linked to an impossibly tall Titan.

  
“Ah, finally. The human’s little Avatar has come out of hiding,” the sinister voice sneered. It took everything Eren had in him not to tremble from just the voice; it was pure evil. “Let’s have introductions, shall we? I am the Beast Titan, creator of Titans, father of evil, and the one to eliminate humanity. Oops I nearly forgot!” Beast exclaimed with an exaggerated swing of his arms, Annie swinging helplessly in his grasp. He narrowed his eyes and smiled at Eren. “I’m the one who will kill you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 51 under the works! 
> 
> Feedback pls?????? Thanks for reading!


	51. Titan Invasion part 2- Titan vs Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are the prey and we are the hunters. 
> 
> Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a tad bit late and short!!!!!!!! I was out celebrating my birthday!
> 
> Anywhoo, enjoy!!!!!!!

            Eren grit his teeth as he trembled with fear. “No one’s going to kill me today you bastard!” He straightened out his posture and puffed his chest out in a feeble attempt to look intimidating. Beast only laughed at the attempt and tightened his grip on Annie.

            “I heard that humans had a funny sense of humor! I just never realized how funny they truly were.” Beast sneered and looked down at Eren. “You’re nothing but a pesky bug that I merely have to step to destroy, just like all humans!”

            “Oi!” Eren shouted angrily. “Don’t count us out yet! We’ve been kicking your asses for quite some time and now, I’ll be the one to throw you into Hell- right where you belong!” Before Eren could sensibly think of a plan, he found himself running at Beast headfirst. He bended an air punch at the large Titan with his right hand and a fire jab with his left. Eren aimed directly for Beast’s face but gazed with indifference as his attacks did nothing.

            “What was that you were saying?” Beast taunted. “Something about not counting humans out?” The giant Titan let out a loud laugh that resonated over the small valley they were in. “None the less, I guess I can entertain you for a little bit before you die.” Eren could feel his nails dig into the palms of his hands as he glared fiercely at Beast.  He stomped on the ground and shook his hands out, releasing the tension in them. Slowly and painfully, he began to raise them. His muscles strained against the weight but he pushed on regardless. The earth underneath the Titan shook and rumbled as it slowly began to rise from ground.

            “I thought,” Eren forced out through clenched teeth. “I told you…” The earth rose from the group higher, making Beast sway slightly. “That I wasn’t…. going to die…. To anyone today. You see…” Eren felt his arms tremble from exertion as he levitated Beast up on an island of rock. “I’m under strict orders… to come back alive…. And in order to do that…I have to defeat you!” With a final push, Eren threw the island of earth as far away from the other Titans as he could. The fog wasn’t too far away from the Titan base; if he could only lure Beast out to it.  

            Beast let go of his grip on Annie as he sailed through the air. The small spirit was falling fast from the great height and Eren immediately jumped into action. As he ran after Beast, Eren airbended a soft cushion of air for Annie to land on. “Bertolt! Reiner! Proceed with Annie’s plan! Destroy those Titans!” He didn’t spare a passing glance behind him but Eren knew that the other two Titans had heard him, judging by the wails of pains he heard from other Titans.

Beast wasn’t too far away from where Eren had thrown him. The giant Titan was slowly untangling himself from his arms that were much too long. But Eren wouldn’t give him that chance. With a grunt, Eren froze thin, sharp disks of water from the air and showed no mercy as he sliced up Beast. The massive Titan let out a groan and moved his hand in Eren’s direction. From his hand came a great wave of intense heat and flames. Eren quickly bended up a wall of earth but Beast’s fire was too powerful. The earth shield broke apart and sent Eren flying back. A flying pebble tore through Eren’s right cheek but he ignored the sting of pain.  He flew his arms out and managed to summersault back onto his feet. He felt the right side of his face become sticky and wet and he realized he was bleeding. “Shit,” Eren muttered to himself but soon turned his attention back to Beast, who was rapidly healing from Eren’s attacks.

“Was that the best from the Avatar?” Beast mocked.

“Hell no! I haven’t even warmed up!” Eren boasted. He charged towards the Titan again with flames licking his hands. With a furious cry, Eren unleashed hell onto Beast. He ran faster than the wind itself around the giant and sliced him with fire blades. He slashed his face, arms, legs, hands, and torso. Beast let out an angry roar and raised his hand again. As swiftly as he could, Beast swatted his hand at Eren. Cursing himself, Eren tried to dodge the hand but failed. The Titan swatted Eren back as if he was truly just a bug and sent him soaring once again. Eren flung his arms out as his tried to ease his landing with airbending.

That quickly proved to be a horrible idea as he suddenly felt his left arm go completely numb. As another rock hit his back and two sharp waves of excruciating pain doused him, Eren put two and two together: Beast was throwing rocks and shattered the bones in Eren’s arm. He cursed loudly and cradled his arm against his chest.

“Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck!” Eren screamed. He landed harshly onto the ground and bounced a couple times before scrapping to a stop. He let out a loud groan and pushed himself onto his back with his right arm. The leather armor Levi gave to him was shredded and his left arm was bent in the opposite direction that it was supposed to be. He clenched his teeth harshly together and shut his eyes to try and forget the pain wracking throughout his body.

A menacing laugh came from behind Eren. He did not need to open his eyes to know that it was Beast near him. “Valiant effort little Avatar but I’m afraid that your ‘warm up’ was too extensive. Why don’t we call this the end of your charade? I grow tired of having to pretend I’m actually weakened.”

Eren’s eyes snapped open at that and he moved his head to find the Titan leader. “What are you talking about? I sliced your fucking face in half.”

Beast only laughed again. “Fool! Titans regenerate. You did nothing more than give me several annoying paper cuts.” The giant Titan suddenly lost all sense of humor in his voice and Eren couldn’t stop himself from shuddering when he spoke again. “It’s time for you to die.” Eren gulped but forced himself up with his single, functioning arm.

“I’m not…through with you…yet, Beast,” he grunted through gritted teeth. “I still have my ace in the hole.” Eren forced his legs up underneath him and shakily stood, closing his eyes again from the pain.

“You have nothing. You’re just a little, insignificant, _brat,”_ Beast ridiculed.

Eren’s eyes snapped open, ablaze with unwavering anger. “Fuck this pain. Fuck everything you throw at me! BUT DON’T YOU EVER CALL ME A BRAT!” Eren screamed as he felt himself change into the Avatar State. The power coursed through every cell in his body as he glared at the leader of the Titans. “I’m going to kill you! No, I’ll fucking eradicate you!” he yelled as he charged.

-X-

            In the physical world, the rain was pouring down in sheets. Mikasa squinted as she ran down a block with Sasha, Connie, and Armin in tow. She gnashed her teeth together as she recalled the earlier events. She remembered how they had all charged over the wall at Commander Erwin’s command and intercepted the Titans. With their captain’s help, Squad Levi had decimated nearly 40 Titans alone. But somehow, the Titans still managed to break the wall and flood into the city. Levi’s departing instructions rang through her ears: _“Lead the others while I fight with Erwin. Don’t let your emotions lead you astray.”_

“Mikasa!” Sasha’s shrill voice shouted, jerking the raven haired girl out of her thoughts. “I can sense two Titans coming this way!”

            “Get into the formation Captain Levi showed us!” she shouted.

            “But we lost our waterbender!” Connie shouted out to Mikasa. She swore and wiped her eyes to try and see better. “We won’t be able to fight it!”

            “We don’t need a waterbender! It’s raining!” Armin protested.

            “Sasha! Connie! Get into position! It’s now or never!” Mikasa shouted. The pair shouted a cry of acknowledgement and flew into the rain. Only moments later, two small Titans found themselves face down on the ground.

            Mikasa led Armin and Connie first to Sasha’s Titan and prepared her blue flames while the Sasha readied her earth, and Armin and Connie stood ready to perform an air slice. With one clean blow to the nape from all four of them, the Titan began to dissolve. Seconds later, the other Titan was steaming as well.

            “Mikasa! I don’t sense any more Titans in this area,” Sasha announced. “We should go help the others now!”

            “Are you absolutely positive?” she asked the brunette.

            “Yes!” Mikasa grimaced as she felt the wind change and her scarf flapped about wildly. The rain hit their exposed skin like little bullets but she did not let hinder her decision making.

            “Alright. Let’s move out and regroup with the squad in charge of section 4!” Connie nodded at her directions and began to lead the group in the direction of section 4. Luckily, they managed to avoid three Titans and ducked under building with a roofed porch. The rain came down even harder but the small squad paid no attention to it.

            “I can’t see anything out there,” Mikasa finally admitted. “We should stay here until visibility is a bit higher; this way, we won’t become Titan bait.” Armin furrowed his eyebrows but didn’t say anything as he began to strain his ears.

            “Okay. This storm shouldn’t-“Connie began but was soon interrupted.

            “GET DOWN!” Armin suddenly screamed and airbended the others out from under the porch. As Mikasa fell onto the concrete, she watched with wide eyes as the little house they were in was smashed from a large Titan foot.

            “Thanks for that Armin,” she breathlessly acknowledged.

            But there was no answer.

“Armin?” Mikasa asked as she turned her head. She looked for the familiar mess of golden blond hair but only found Connie’s shaven head and Sasha’s dark brown hair. “Armin!” she shouted again, slightly more desperate. She glanced back at the house and skimmed it over with her eyes. Mikasa blanched as her eyes stopped on a tuff of golden hair sticking out from the large pile of rubble.

            “No. No. No. No. No. Nononononono!” Tears and rain water mixed on Mikasa’s face as she ran towards the house ruins. “Armin! NO, ARMIN!” She frantically dug around the tuff of blond hair but froze with wide eyes as a limp and lifeless hand flopped out of the pile.

            “ARMIN!” Mikasa screamed out as she clutched onto the hand of her dead childhood friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 52 is under the works!!!!! (and it will be longer!)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Feedback pls??  
> also sorry not sorry ;P


	52. Titan Invasion part 3: The Darkest Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night is darkest in the hour before dawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really a lot to say other than a graphic scene detailing an operation in the beginning. Read at your own discretion.  
> If you wanted to read this chappie with music, i suggest these ones!  
>  1) Attack on Titan from the soundtrack  
>  2) E.M.A from the soundtrack  
>  3) Guren no Yumiya   
>  4) Jiyuu no Tsubasa  
>  5) Rittaikidou from the soundtrack  
>  6) The Reluctant Heroes from the soundtrack 
> 
> Enjoy!!!

            Things were not going well, that much Levi was absolutely sure about. He had split from his own squad to join the elites with Erwin and to his surprise, General Pyxis. They managed to slay at least 20 Titans before losing sight of the enemy and each other as the rain increased. Levi narrowed his eyes in annoyance; the rain on the ground had begun to steam from the Titans body heat. “Oi, Erwin! Pyxis!” he shouted as he slowly walked the streets. He knew that the blond commander had to be somewhere nearby. He wasn’t sure about the General’s location but that would have wait another minute.

Levi clicked his tongue and ran over to an intact building he caught from the corner of his eye. From the shelter, he briskly wiped the water from his eyes and tried to ignore the feeling of wet clothes clinging to his every movement. He looked out into the steamy streets and began tapping his foot rapidly on the ground but found his mind slipping into dangerous waters. He thought of Eren fighting alone in the Spirit World, against the strongest Titan known to man. What if he didn’t make it? What if Eren was already…? A grunt pulled Levi back to the present and he blinked several times to clear his vision. “Who’s there?” he demanded.

“It’s me,” came the familiar voice of Erwin Smith. Levi turned his head to where the voice came from and widened his eyes.

“What the hell happened?” He asked as ran over to help his friend. Erwin was clutching the top of his left arm and his usually tidy blond hair was rugged and spotted with red.

“I got attacked after we lost each other in the fog. I managed to trap the Titan under some rubble but it nicked my arm. If I don’t stop the bleeding, I’ll bleed out.” Erwin confessed.

“What do you need me to do?” Levi asked though he already knew the answer.

“Sear the wound close. I know I’m going to lose the arm anyway so I want you to cut it off and sear it. Don’t worry about the pain, I can handle it.” Levi knew the man was lying but they had no time to bicker about it. Erwin was already starting to look pale from all the blood lost.

“Ok. Lay down on the floor and I’ll start.” Levi tore a clean strip of cloth from Erwin’s loose airbending attire and tied it tightly above the bleeding wound. Erwin brought his left hand up to his mouth and bit down on his knuckles. “This is going to hurt so try to think of something else,” Levi offered as he created a white hot fire dagger. Erwin shut his eyes and waited patiently as Levi readied himself. With a deep breath, Levi began to press the fire dagger slowly through the thin layer of skin. Erwin couldn’t help but scream and bite down as hard as he could into the knuckles he could no longer feel. Levi gritted his teeth as he watched Erwin writher in agony but he kept his slow pace, making sure the skin would be burned in place.

“Levi, what the hell are you doing?” came the alarmed shout of General Pyxis. Levi didn’t waver his gaze from his friend and kept his voice low.

“Erwin has to get his arm amputated or he’ll die of blood loss. I’m cutting it off and searing the wound closed with my firebending.” Levi moved his hand down deeper and forced his face into one without emotion. “Stay still Erwin,’’ he commanded and Pyxis rushed over to help. The air soon became filled with the stench of burning skin and all of their eyes watered. “How did you find us Pyxis? I was calling your name earlier.”

“I felt your vibrations and I went to where they last came from,” the old general answered. “The battle outside isn’t going well. There are still so many Titans in the city and I found many of my men dead while getting here. If things keep going the way they are, we won’t survive this battle no matter what the Avatar does.” Levi grunted and pressed on in the amputation. He increased the flames’ intensity as he made contact with the bone and tried not to flinch as Erwin twitched his whole body and his eyes rolled into the back of head.

“W-we need to p-press o-on,” Erwin rasped out as he dropped his bloody knuckles from his mouth.

“Shut up Erwin and save your energy; I’m almost done,” Levi ordered. “Pyxis, how many Titans are near us?”

“At least 5. I wouldn’t be surprised if we found another few wondering around.” Levi cursed and began to speed his work up. His efforts to save Erwin wouldn’t do shit if they were killed as soon as they left the shelter.  “I think the rain is making them slower,” Pyxis admitted. “They seem to be milling around rather than trying to destroy things like usual.”

“We have to use that to our advantage in this situation. Pyxis I want you to take Erwin to somewhere safe while I reconvene with my squad and lead some other ones in his absence.” A resounding snap and a howl from Erwin silenced the other two men for a moment. “Okay Erwin, this is the last stretch. I’m really close to being done; hang on.”

“Levi, I can feel one approaching,” Pyxis muttered. “Wait, two. Yeah, two Titans are coming our way. What do you want me to do? We can’t fight our way out of this since Erwin is out of commission.”

“Shit. Go buy us time. I can finish this pretty quickly.” The general nodded and ran out towards the Titans. Levi felt the ground rumble but he ignored it. He placed his hand without the fire dagger on Erwin’s chest and steadied himself; fucking up was _not_ an option. “Alright Erwin. Try not to pass out.” In one quick motion, he sliced the rest of Erwin’s arm off. Blood started to flow onto his hand and Levi did not hesitate to light the bloody palm and press it onto the stump. Erwin nearly sat straight up as he felt his skin melt by Levi’s fire but the firm hand on his chest prevented him from doing so.

Levi grimaced at the way Erwin’s skin turned into a pliable, melted lump in his hand. Once Levi noticed his flames began to spread around the wound, he extinguished his fire and tied a cool, wet cloth around the stump. Erwin was breathing heavily and rapidly, eyes screwed shut. “All done. Now let’s get out of here,” Levi muttered.

“N-No. I can still fight,” Erwin breathed out. The taller man stumbled as he stood so Levi have him a hand.

“Erwin, you’re in no condition to continue like this. It could get infected or some shit.”

“I’m the commander of the S-Survey Corps, Levi. I can’t give up so easily,” the blond insisted. “Where’s my staff?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see you come here with it,” the raven admitted. Erwin faced away from Levi and glared at the pouring rain.

“Levi, if anything happens to me, I want you to take control of this mission. Hanji will be the newest commander of the Survey Corps so don’t worry about that.” Before Erwin could take a single step towards outside the shelter, Levi struck the back of his neck with a harsh kick. The commander immediately crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

“Stop talking shit, you’re going to be just fine now,” Levi murmured as he picked Erwin up. “Oi, Pyxis!” The bald man came running back in wearing a shit-eating grin. “You’re going to take Erwin and leave. I knocked the bastard out so he won’t be in any condition to resist you or try to come back and help. Take him to HQ where there’s a man named Grisha Jaeger. He’s a doctor so he should be able to help him. After that, get your ass back here. Tell any soldier you see that Captain Levi is the new leader of this entire battle. I’m going to meet with my squad and see how much damage we’ve taken in.”

“Alright. Good luck Captain,” Pyxis replied with a nod as he lifted the limp commander from Levi’s arms. “The two Titans out there are distracted so you can run out the front. I’m going to make a tunnel for Erwin and me.” The earth obeyed Pyxis’s wishes and a hole big enough to fit the two men opened below him. The minute both their heads sunk under the earth, the hole closed itself. Levi sighed and thought quickly about where his squad might be.

“Probably helping some others. The most troubled area was Section 4; I’ll check there first,” Levi thought aloud. He peeked out to see if the Titans were still distracted enough for him to leave and not be seen. Pyxis had created a large cage from earth around the Titans. Sure enough, they did not yet realize that with their strength they could easily destroy the cage. He took his chance and dashed out from the small shelter and into the rain again. Levi felt his heartbeat hammer against his chest as he sprinted through pairs and groups of wondering Titans. If he _didn’t_ have a hoard of at least 10 Titans following him when he reached his squad, he’d be the luckiest man alive.

Even though Levi was running at his fastest pace, he knew that the Titans were catching up behind him. He was only human after all, he would get tired eventually from sprinting. He turned a corner and saw wreckage everywhere. There seemed to be no sign of people anywhere. “Damn it!” Levi cussed as he kept running straight ahead. He made another random turn and felt his blood run cold again as he came across a dead end. “Shit!” He glanced behind him and swore to himself again as he was greeted with 12 Titans looking at him with wide eyes and cautious expressions. They continued to walk in a further press Levi into a corner. Levi felt his heart sink as he realized that he would not escape. He’d never see Eren again or kiss the man he loved with his whole being. He’d never see Erwin or Hanji again. This was the end for him. As his back pressed against the solid, thick, earthen wall behind him, Levi closed his eyes and readied his mind. Hopefully it wouldn’t hurt too much; maybe it would just be burning alive. Levi felt himself be picked up by a Titan and the heat was overwhelming but he just felt _so tired._ Everything he ever did ended up biting him in the ass sooner or later.

In a bright flash of blue-green, Levi remembered his last day with Eren. He had smiled at him and told him his master plan of defeating the Titan Beast. “I’m going to fight. I can’t win unless I fight and if I don’t win, I can’t come back to you. And no goddamn Titan is going to get in the way of us because I love you.”

Levi felt his body heat with fire but it wasn’t uncomfortable, it was familiar. He snapped his eyes open and began to fight back. _“I have to win. I have to fight. I have to get back to Eren.”_ Levi thought wildly as he shot flames into the Titan’s eyes. He ignored his rational thoughts as he felt the haze of instinct take over his moves. It was an odd feeling, like every sense was heightened above their usual limits. He noticed briefly that his flames were no longer red orange, but a bright blue like Mikasa’s and that they were covering his entire body although he was not hurt. Levi felt himself falling through the air as the Titan he attacked released him. He twisted his body to land on his feet and began slashing through black Titan mist to escape. Nothing else was on his seemed to matter in his mind other than escape. He cut through heels or full legs in his desperation to leave.

In mere seconds though it felt like hours, Levi cut through the pack of Titans and fell into the center of the road. Like a switch, his sudden burst of energy cut off and the flames surrounding him faded in the rain. He felt drained and exhausted but he ignored his body’s protests and began running away from the pack of now angry Titans. He ran past another road of wreckage but soon turned back when he heard a familiar voice scream. As he went down the wreaked road, he caught a glimpse of something red flapping in the wind- Mikasa’s scarf. “Oi! Mikasa! Connie! Sasha! Armin!” As he drew nearer, he squinted his eyes and managed to get a small visual on his squad. Connie and Sasha were on the ground while Mikasa was shouting at a fallen house.

At the sound of her name being called Mikasa turned her head. Sprinting towards them was Captain Levi, his clothes smoking and his armor ripped. “Captain! I need help!” Levi slowed his pace as he approached the others and looked to Mikasa.

“What happened? Take a second and get control of yourself before you start talking,” he asked. Mikasa took 3 deep breaths before she pointed to the rubble she had been yelling. Levi followed her finger and grit his teeth. A tuft of golden blond hair and a limp hand were protruding from the fallen building. “I understand. We need to move though or else his sacrifice will have been in vain. There’s a pack of 12 royally pissed off Titans following me and you guys don’t seem in a good mindset to attack.”

“No,” Mikasa growled, bangs falling over her eyes slightly. “A Titan killed him so I’m going to fucking kill all of them here.” Levi raised an eyebrow but decided to remain quiet as the other firebender stood. “Sasha! Connie!” Mikasa barked. The other two quickly came to their senses and stood up, also electing to be silent as they caught Mikasa’s murderous glare. “We’re taking down all these motherfuckers right now. For Armin!” Levi watched as the trio flew into the air thanks to Sasha and worked almost effortlessly to avenge their fallen comrade. Mikasa practically soared through the air landing deadly strikes with the other two. They didn’t have to exchange words to understand their next movements and acted purely on wit. Levi watched as his elite squad wiped out the hoard easily while he regained his composure and breath. He wasn’t exactly sure what the hell happened earlier but it wasn’t natural. That much he was certain. When the trio landed, Mikasa pulled her scarf over her lips and nose and looked to Levi, silently asking to be relieved of her duty as leader.

“We’re going to press deeper in and help out any remaining teams. We’ll come back for Armin after we’ve won,” Levi declared. “Move out!” As he felt the familiar burning sensation in his legs as he ran, Levi’s thoughts slipped to Eren again for only a moment. _“It’s all up to you Eren. I’m putting my trust in you so don’t let me down.”_

-X-

Eren felt the swirling wind around him and grinned to himself. He felt powerful, in control. The Avatar State was awakened; he was at his most powerful, in the most powerful world. Eren turned his furious, glowing eyes slowly at Beast. “You’re dead,” he growled, his voice a combination of every Avatar incarnation. Beast smirked at Eren and cocked his head to the side.

“Oh, is that so? This is coming from the boy with one functioning arm, eh? Well go ahead and try to beat me, I’ll play nice,” Beast said with sympathy. Eren clenched his teeth together tightly and tightened his right hand into a fist.

“I only need one arm to fight,” Eren defiantly shouted although truthfully, he wasn’t so sure if he really could. “And that’s enough talking from you! It’s time to end this once and for all!” Recklessly, Eren charged toward the Titan with all his might. He brought up a large bolder while he ran and aimed it for Beast’s head. The Titan simply tilted his head and let the rock fly past him but Eren grinned; he did exactly what he wanted. While Beast smirked at dodging the larger rock, Eren boosted himself up with his airbending to reach the Titan leader’s face. With a slice of his hand, Eren summoned water and cut a deep gash through his eye. The grin Beast was wearing quickly faded but Eren did not stop his attack. He summoned the power of his past lives and created a whip of fire and earth. With a roar, he unleashed his fury and slashed through whatever flesh was presented to him. He cut through his muscles and tendons with such ease as he landed gracefully on the ground, it reminded him of slicing butter.

Beast let out a loud yell but began to stumble back towards the Fog. Eren smiled widely as his opponent faltered and lunged towards the Titan. As Eren ran, Beast lifted a chunk of solid earth from the ground. He hurled it at Eren’s sprinting figure, hoping to catch the Avatar off guard but that did not seem to work on Eren. He summersaulted over the rock and blasted the Titan down on his ass with a particularly hard blast of wind.

“This is ridiculous!” Beast bellowed. “I’m stronger than you, older than you, smarter than you in every aspect! Prepare yourself Avatar, I’m going to-“Beast suddenly felt a white-hot, excruciating pain in his mouth accompanied by a soft pat on his head.

Eren stomped on the Titan’s head thrice briefly. “Oi, I want you to shut your fucking mouth,” he said calmly. “ _I’m_ stronger, _I’m_ cleverer, and _I_ will win this. You talk way too much but I guess I’ll get some silence from burning your tongue out.” Eren glanced down to see the steam pouring from every wound on the Titan’s body. He was running out of time to finish him off. “I wanted to torture you in every way possible but I guess this will have had to be enough.” Eren stuck out his arm and willed his past lived to work with him again. Instantly, fire and air began to circulate his arm. With a single wave, earth and water began to wrap around it as well. Even as Beast struggled underneath him, Eren kept his balance on his head. He raised his multi-elemental arm into the air and shouted with a vengeance. “THIS IS FOR EVERY SINGLE LIFE YOU TOOK! DIE YOU SHITRAG!” Eren launched himself into the air and tuned quickly to face Beast’s nape. With a deep breath, Eren plunged his arm forward and struck the killing blow. Beast let out a scream but his movements suddenly ceased.

Eren dropped to the ground and watched as Beast’s eyes went blank and his face slack. “I-I did it!” Exhausted from his little show of power, Eren let go of the Avatar State and slumped down onto his knees. “I can’t believe it. It’s finally over.” He smiled to himself and sighed. _If only I had brought Levi. I don’t think I can move my arm at all._ Eren glanced at the dead Titan and grimaced. “I need to push him into the Fog or this’ll have been for shit.” Despite his fatigue, Eren scrambled up and jogged over to the Titan corpse. He stood proudly with legs shoulder length apart and brandished his right arm out. Tapping into his power reserves once again, he began to call upon the winds, ordering them to push the Titan over the edge. The corpse still hadn’t dissolved instantly like most Titans but Eren shrugged it off. It was probably just because Beast was the original Titan that he didn’t dissolve. He let his mind slip to Levi as the corpse was pushed to the edge of the pit. _I hope everyone’s okay._ “I can’t believe it’s all over. It’s all over now,” Eren whispered to himself with a smile. He blushed and glanced off to the side, missing the twitch of Beast’s fingers and the rise of steam from his wounds again.

Suddenly, Eren’s entire world was flipped upside down, literally. He found himself hanging in the air, upside down by his waist from a very hot hand. A very _large_ hot hand. One that was misty black and connected to a Titan he had just slayed. There was no possibly way that Beast could still be alive after Eren had sliced his neck with each element simultaneously. But judging by the deep rumbling coming from the Titan, Eren figured something had gone wrong. As the rumbling sound continued, Eren realized Beast was _laughing._ Immediately, his sweat ran icy cold and he tried to ignore the pain of his dangling broken arm and blood rushing to his head.

“You cocky piece of shit!” Beast laughed. “You thought that a little slice to the back of my neck would kill me? I’m honestly offended.” Beast slowly stood to his feet as his muscles healed and swayed Eren. His joking demeanor aside now, Beast looked absolutely terrifying. His eyes were dark black and no longer held any sympathy; only cold, calculated rage. In a flash of anger, he threw Eren to the ground hard. He slammed into the earth, unable to soften his landing. Eren gasped for air and his head buzzing painfully. “Did you really think?!” Beast yelled again as he walked away from the edge of the Fog towards Eren’s limp form. He picked him up carefully, only to throw him against a nearby tree. Eren heard a snap and felt his nerves go haywire from all the sudden amounts of pain. He whispered for help but his pleas weren’t heard over Beast’s shouts. “That only a cut to the back of my neck would kill me, the first Titan?!” The Titan leader made another attempt to grab onto Eren but found himself blocked.

Eren opened his previously closed eyes in time to see the earth around him coming up to cover him. A familiar face hovered over his as the earth slowed its movement. “Av...atar…. Ilse?” Eren wheezed out.

“Eren! Pay attention okay! If you want to save yourself and the world from death, you need to fight with your spiritual body! It’s the only way!” They both flinched as Beast attacked the shelter with heavy blows. The tiny ceiling cracked and dirt rained down on them.

“H-How?” Eren croaked out.

“Call for all of your past lives’ spirits and they’ll come,” she hastily told him before diving on top of Eren’s body. Ilse’s seemingly solid body turned into a bright green light and morphed to cover all of Eren. Eren looked above with wide eyes as Beast hammered against the small shelter. More dirt fell onto him as the crack in the ceiling grew. He could feel himself seizing up in fear but he hurriedly shook himself from those dangerous thoughts. Instead, Eren closed his eyes and tried to calm down. The copious amounts of agony rushing through his being made him groan but he did not allow it to deter him from his mission.

“I call upon my past lives,” Eren mumbled tiredly. “I ask you to come, help me create my spiritual body and defeat the Titans once and for all.” As he spoke, Beast broke through his small earthen shelter. Eren squeezed his eyes shut and kept chanting his request slightly louder than before. Beast moved to grab the glowing child but found himself unable. When his long, misty fingers neared him, a flash of green light would sever them and force him to pull back.

Eren opened his right eye slowly, trying to get a glimpse of where the large Titan was. Both eyes snapped open as he found the Titan directly above him, holding another large rock. Eren began to process as the rock fell from his hand in slow motion. He hadn’t even realized that he pulled his body out from under the rock’s route with his lone arm. He threw his legs over his head and rolled up to a standing position. As Eren stood, he felt something cold embrace his back. He glanced over his shoulder quickly and gasped as he saw another green light cling onto him: a past life. Slowly, both Eren and Beast looked to the sky in awe and horror as it was littered with little green, glowing lights.

“NO!” Beast yelled. He growled and stomped the ground with his foot. Eren glared at the Titan as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand. He noticed angrily that the environment they were battling in was changing. In rippling effects, the luscious green grass stiffened and withered before turning dead and black. The blue and green sky was covered by a blackness protruding from the Titan and a cold gust of wind blew around the pair of enemies. Eren’s hair billowed in every direction and the scraps of his clothing left fluttered in the wind. A loud rumbling came from the black above them and Eren figured it was thunder. The wind abruptly calmed along with the thunder and for a brief moment, everything was still.

Then that moment ended, and over a thousand little green lights rained down through the blackness to latch themselves onto Eren. Eren grinned as he felt his power increase and heard encouragement coming from every direction.

_Go Eren!_

_Kick his ass!_

_Shove a rock up his stinkin’ ass!_

_Avenge us!_

_Defeat the Titans!_

_You can do this!_

_We’re behind you!_

_Show him what happens when you mess with humanity!_

_Show him what happens when you fuck with the Avatar!_

_Let hell loose!_

_Kill the bastard!_

_Right here! Right now!_

“T-That’s impossible!” Beast muttered to himself, just loud enough that Eren managed to hear. “Nothing should be able to get past my darkness!” Eren looked in awe as the various positive spirits were wrapping around him. He could feel himself floating higher and higher off the ground as the green light hardened into a mist like form, similar to a Titan’s. He looked around him and found that he was airbending a sphere around himself, keeping him from falling. As he glanced down, he realized that he now had large green mist legs and torso and understood what Ilse had meant about having a spiritual body. It was quite literally a version of himself made from his past lives’ spirits, making him just as large as Beast.

Tentatively, Eren leaned forward and his giant body took a step forward as well. He clenched his right hand into a fist and punched an unsuspecting Beast in the gut. The Titan flew backwards with wide bulging eyes. Eren leaned forward again and willed his spirit body to run to the crumpled up Titan. Before Beast could regenerate from the blow, Eren tossed the Titan into air and slammed into his gut again with the side of his fist. This time though, Beast was ready for Eren’s attack. As Eren swung wildly, Beast blocked his fist with one arm and used his other the grab Eren. As they both began to fall to the ground, he flipped the glowing brunette onto the earth next to him.

Both beings groaned as they stood but Eren let out another roar before he ran head first against Beast. He head-butted the Titan and shoved him back. Beast stumbled back a few steps towards Eren’s goal- the Fog. Eren charged forward, swinging wildly again. This time however, he used his reckless fighting to his advantage. Although his green body did not show it, Eren grinned as the Titan leader was backing up quickly and towards the Fog without realizing it. Beast suddenly let out a loud growl and planted his feet shoulder width apart before raising his fists. He aimed a kick for Eren’s shin but it was easily blocked, setting the Titan off balance. Taking his chance, Eren threw his weight into his right arm and shoved Beast back onto the very edge of the Fog. White mist began to curl around their feet but he paid no attention to it.

Beast grinned at Eren and took a deep breath. Before Eren could dodge or avoid it, his glowing, green face was burned by a black fire. Eren shut his eyes and squeezed his hand tightly around the bit of Titan flesh he managed to grab onto but suddenly felt extremely vulnerable. He struggled as he tried to reopen his eyes but to his horror, he found that he could not. Beast let out a loud rumbling laugh as Eren struggled and Eren’s heart plunged. “That’s the original Titan fire! You’ll never be able to see out of those eyes again!” Eren felt a swish of air as he was moved and suddenly, the earth below his feet was gone. He paled as he realized that he was dangling over the Fog of Lost Souls. “Goodbye Avatar Eren!”

Eren desperately thought of a plan of escape but he was drawing a blank. He felt an odd wave of discomfort as his green head was slammed into as Beast head-butted him hard. Without thinking, Eren quickly moved his hand out to wrap under the Titan’s waist. As Beast let go of him, Eren pulled him with him in. Beast let out one final yell or malice and surprise before both he and Eren were plunged into the incasing, unescapable, white fog.

-X-

Levi cursed to himself as he ducked into a broken, small, single story house with his squad. The rain was beginning to let up but they had no waterbender on their squad anymore making them unable to kill the Titans surrounding their location. There was truly nothing that they could do but hide. He had tucked them all into a corner and put himself in front of them all, ready to give his life to protect them. He heard muffled sobs coming from behind him and realized it was Sasha.

“Sasha are you okay?” Levi whispered.

“I-I don’t want t-to d-die, C-Captain!” she whispered quickly.

“You’re not going to die here. I promise.” Before Levi could even finish his sentence, a small Titan burst into the room they were hiding in. Sasha whimpered softly as she seized with fear and Levi threw his arms out to protect them while his eyes never once left the Titan. It had a large, wide smile on its humanoid face. It turned and began to approach the corner with its hands out, ready to kill. Levi nor his squad moved a single muscle as it approached. The room went absolutely silent as it crept closer.

_Thud._ 10 inches away from Levi.

_Thud._ 5 inches away from Levi.

_Thud._ 1 inch away from Levi.

Then, as if struck by lightning, the Titan froze. Its eyes went a blank white but the smile never lessened. Levi slid down, underneath the Titan’s blank gaze and motioned for his squad to follow. They all sprinted out of the room with the Titan but it never moved to follow them. Levi stopped them again when they reached the street. The same bizarre freeze was with the Titans outside as well. Levi scanned the area for any soldiers and found one laying against a wall. He quickly took off and glanced at the soldier. He recognized him as a cadet and shook him slightly.

“Oi! Hey! Are you alright?” The soldier snapped to attention as Levi’s face came into focus.

“Captain Levi sir! I-I’m alright but the Titans. They all just…stopped. At once.”

“What’s your name?”

“Ian! I’m a waterbender sent from Section 8 to assist I think you guys.”

“Good then stand up.” As Ian scrambled to his feet, Levi turned to face his own squad. “This is our chance. We are going to go around the city and kill every last one, you hear me? Not a single Titan lives.” They all nodded and saluted their captain before Connie spoke up.

“Do you think it could Eren that did this? I mean maybe he won his own fight and now all the Titans froze because of that!” he chattered excitedly.

“If he did, then we will see him soon,” Levi agreed. “Move out!” Squad Levi and Ian ran into the home they were just in and slaughtered the still frozen Titan with ease. This time however, when the Titan died, it turned gray and crumbled to ash instead of evaporating. Before staying to dwell on it, Levi led his team out and onto the rooftops. They leaped onto the next Titan and hit it quickly with all four elements. It too quickly turned gray and crumbled to ash. Though feeling drained, Levi, Ian, and the rest of his squad quickly jumped from Titan to Titan, sparing none. As they passed over a living squad, Levi shouted to them. “Go to the palace grounds and tell anyone else you meet that. All survivors will meet there.” They nodded in affirmation and watch briefly as the most elite squad of the Survey Corps effortlessly decimated Titans left and right.

To Levi’s surprise, most of the Titans in in Upper and Middle Rings of the city were killed. However, the Outer Ring and Outer Wall were a completely different story. His eyes widened as he took in the greatly lessened amount of soldiers who were beginning to make their way to the palace grounds. “Don’t reach out yet,” Levi warned the others as he could tell some were looking for Ymir, Krista, and Thomas who had gone out to the Outer Wall that morning. “Focus on exterminating first.”

Levi fell into a routine: jump, slice, run. They had killed so many Titans in that fashion that he had lost count after 73. “Captain,” Mikasa called softly. Levi glanced over and found his squad and Ian hunched over and breathing hard from all their exertion. “I think we’ve gotten all of them we can see. If we head back now we can let the reinforcement teams get any lingering Titans.” Levi nodded curtly and jumped down to the street. He glanced around and smirked to himself as he found a wagon and horse somehow unharmed.

“Oi!” he called to his tired squad. “I found a wagon so get in.” Without protests, they all piled in and Levi took the reins. Within minutes they were on their way to the palace grounds. Levi let his mind wander to Eren and Connie’s earlier remark. Annie _did_ say in the past that taking down Beast would be to take down all the Titans. And nowhere in history did all the Titans in an area ever freeze like that. Therefore, if Beast was dead that meant Eren actually won. Levi smiled softly to himself and pushed the horse faster. Eren was probably waiting for him at the palace right now. As they passed through the Middle Ring and into the Upper Ring, Levi looked at the sky. The storm clouds had left and it was just about sunset. Various colors of sunshine poured into the newly liberated city and Levi made a mental note to tell Eren all about how the Battle of Ba Sing Se went in the physical world. He had seen and done so much during this day.

Levi sighed as they came up to the palace and schooled his face back into impassiveness. The crowd parted in respect and admiration as they saw Captain Levi riding the wagon and began to applaud. The applause turned into full out screams and cheers about Humanity’s Strongest and Humanity’s Strongest Squad. Levi glanced around as they slowly made their way to the steps of the palace, looking for a familiar head of disheveled brown hair and bright oceanic eyes. Levi furrowed his brows as he could not find that head and stopped the wagon at the edge of the steps. An anxious feeling rose in his chest and he knew something was wrong.

His squad was still breathing heavily so Levi left them in the wagon and climbed the steps alone. At the top, he was met by Erwin who somehow managed to have a speech ready. As the crowd of weary yet happy soldiers kept cheering and screaming loudly, Levi leaned into Erwin.

“Erwin. Have you seen Eren at all?” The blond was able to hear the concern and worry dripping out of Levi’s voice.

“Levi, I doubted that Eren would return today from the moment you told me he sealed you out this morning,” the blond said honestly. “He’ll be too tired to make that journey tonight but just wait until tomorrow. Then I guarantee he’ll be back. Don’t worry, everything will be okay.” Levi glanced at the older blond and nodded his head.

“I hope so,” he muttered to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback??? thanks for reading!


	53. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hardest part after any battle is moving on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I had a bit of writer's block from some places.  
> Enjoy!

After the celebrations died down, Levi opened the doors of the palace to the injured first. A large mass of people rushed forward but one glare from him calmed the frantic soldiers. He walked down the long staircase again to his squad still in the wagon. Somehow, he managed to ease all of his squad members, except Ian, up into the palace. Once he was actually inside, he found that most of the healers were running around trying to help their patients. Rather than leaving them in that mess, Levi decided to find rooms for each member. He led them down numerous halls and various floors before finally coming across a stretch of four rooms that were beside each other and free.

“Oi, you guys,” Levi called out before they each closed their door.

“Sir?” Sasha replied tiredly.

“Thank you and good work today. When you wake up, get checked out by a healer first then come find me. I’ll most likely be with Erwin. Now go get some sleep,” Levi finished off with a slight smile. His squad nodded and gave their hearts before they disappeared into their rooms. Levi walked into the fourth room and fell onto the bed, not giving a shit about getting clean first. He was too exhausted to even strip before he fell onto the bed and into a fitful sleep.

-X-

As dawn of the new morning approached, Levi became more anxious. He twisted in his bed for another few minutes before flinging the sheets back and standing up. Erwin’s words were repeating themselves in his ear: _wait until tomorrow; then I guarantee he’ll be back._ Levi yawned and stretched his sore body before walking out of his green and gold room. He furrowed his brow when he did not recognize the hallway and momentarily forgotten where exactly he was.

With a yawn, Levi recalled he was in the Palace of the Earth King and that he was supposed to go see Erwin first thing. Tiredly, he walked up to General Pyxis’s large war chamber and walked in without considering knocking. “Oi, Erwin! Are you in here?”

“Yes. In the back room,” Erwin called back, his voice gravelly. Levi forced himself to move forward and to the sound of the commander’s voice.  As he walked in, he found Pyxis to be there as well, nursing down the contents of his flask.

“Morning Erwin, Pyxis,” Levi nonchalantly spoke as he pulled up a chair to sit. “So we were both called here because?”

“I’ve been getting letters all through the morning and night by messenger hawk from our other forces across the nations. Apparently they were each overwhelmed like us. The battles were grim by the minute amount of detail they put into the letters,” Erwin sighed as he ran his lone hand through his blond locks.

“What about Hanji? Is she alright? If that crazy woman wrote the letter and _didn’t_ add in gory details, I’d be worried,” Levi asked.

“Hanji didn’t write the letter,” Erwin replied grimly. “It looks like Moblit’s writing but midway through, it changes to someone else’s handwriting.”

Levi sat up straighter in his seat. “Wait are you serious? Do you think something happened to her?”

“Well considering the fact that I lost my arm in this battle, something I never even considered happening, she may very well be…out of commission. Not dead,” Erwin added hastily as he noticed Levi’s jaw clench. “No, not dead but just out of commission. Unable to lead perhaps. The main problem is that they all have so many casualties that they can’t bring them all back for the mass funeral.”

“Do the funerals there,” Pyxis shrugged before Levi could speak. “Burn the bodies, have a nice memorial service while you do it. Then clean the city best you can and move back to base.”

“Have them send back a list of their casualties so we can tell our group of men. That way they don’t have to be crushed again two weeks later when their friend doesn’t show up.” Levi added. Erwin nodded his head and began to write out the instructions on three separate pieces of paper.

“Okay then. Now as for Ba Sing Se, how much damage did we take in?” Erwin demanded to know.

“Most of the city is leveled. There are corpses nearly everywhere and the walls are broken in places. I’d say that with civilians’ help, we could rebuild easily. However, we must clean out all the titans and bodies left first before we let them back in. I’m estimating about two weeks of clean-up before letting the civilians back inside,” Pyxis replied before taking another swing of his flask.

“The corpses will start to rot by then if we wait to burn them all at the same time,” Levi interjected with a frown. “We need to have the funeral in at least two days the latest.”

“I agree with Levi,” Erwin replied. “Get all available hands on finding and gathering the corpses. We can worry about the wall situation later. I want to have the funeral first. That reminds me,” Erwin turned to face Levi with apologetic eyes. “Has Eren returned yet?”

“No.”

“I don’t want to do this but if he’s not back soon, I’m pronouncing him M.I.A.” Erwin decided. Levi jumped to his feet, cold anger blazing in his small bluish-grey eyes.

“He’s going to come back and if he doesn’t I swear I will go into the Spirit World _again_ to drag his ass out,” Levi hissed. There was a tense silence in the room and Levi glared at Erwin. However, a timid knock on the door broke the silence and Levi sighed before he walked over to open the door. Behind it was Mikasa, although it didn’t look like she got any sleep. There were dark bags under her slightly red eyes and Levi’s own widened as he realized that the strong girl had been crying. “Mikasa?”

“You said to come find you once we were cleared from the healers. I’m cleared to work. What are my duties?” she asked monotonously.

“We’re going to gather the bodies of the fallen today. You don’t have to though, I can assign you a different task.”

“I’ll do it.”

“I’ll come with you,” Levi insisted. He furrowed his brow at her somberness but decided not to say anything. Instead, Levi turned back to Erwin. “I’m being serious about dragging his ass out you know.”

“I’m sure you are,” Erwin sighed and Levi slammed the door shut behind him.

\--- ---

As Levi prepared an open wagon to place the bodies and ride in, he spared careful glances at Mikasa. He wouldn’t admit to it just yet, but he was really worried about her. She had begun to remind him of himself and that was truly an awful thing. The other dark haired girl had discarded her armor from the day before and was wearing a light red sports bra with dark red shorts. She wore her tall, skintight boots from the previous day and kept the ratty old scarf on her neck. Levi quietly observed that she had tied it tighter around her neck than usual.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Levi found himself asking again. Mikasa glanced at her captain again with knitted brows briefly before the expression faded.

“I need to do something to keep my mind off…” Mikasa trailed off. The name remained unspoken but hung heavily in the air. “I thought this was a good job to do just that.” Levi decided to keep quiet and instead strapped the wagon to the horses. With a small grunt, he leapt onto the wagon and helped Mikasa up as well. As they began to ride, Levi cleared his throat.

“If you want to-“he began awkwardly.

“Please don’t. Don’t tell me to talk to you if I need to. Please,” Mikasa sighed. “I don’t want your sympathy so don’t pretend to care about me now.” Levi fought the urge to fire a retort at the girl so instead, he nodded his head and kept a look out for corpses. He turned the wagon around a corner a repressed the need to gag. Levi took a deep breath as he jumped out of the wagon and pulled a white bandana from his pocket. He wrapped it over his nose to cover the stench of decay that filled the air. He pulled out another bandana, this one red, and handed it to Mikasa. She quickly wrapped it around her face and in return gave a pair of elbow length gloves to her superior.

“Thanks. I know you’re capable of carrying a body by yourself so if you need help, just call,” Levi told the young woman as he began to walk over to the first corpse. He didn’t recognize the person but he could tell by the shredded remains of their armor that they were a Survey Corps member. He sighed and lifted the body from under their arms and did his best not to let their feet drag on the ground as he walked over towards the wagon.

Contrary to popular belief, Levi was very gentle as he laid the person down and slid them back until he heard the thud from their head hitting the back wood. Levi went to retrieve another body as he watched Mikasa from the corner of his eye. She carefully placed two corpses down next to each other and copied Levi’s previous movements. She continued to stand overlooking the bodies as Levi slid the fourth and final corpse into place. He grabbed a long white sheet from a pile that was already in the wagon and laid it on top the dead soldiers. After securing the sheet to make sure it did not fall off, the pair got back on the wagon and began to move down the street.

“I wasn’t pretending you know,” Levi finally spoke. Mikasa sent him a puzzled glare and tugged her scarf tighter around her neck. “I do actually care about you and I know damn well what it feels like to lose a friend because things happened too fast for you to react. I can also tell you that bottling it up inside won’t make it any better or easier to bear.” Levi kept his eyes peeled in front of him as he spoke quietly to Mikasa. He heard her breathe in quickly as he turned into a destroyed lane. It looked familiar to him but he couldn’t exactly… Levi inhaled softly as he realized he had turned into Section 4’s entrance and the place of Armin’s death.

Mikasa let out a nearly inaudible sob as they rode closer to the collapsed building that held Armin’s body. As soon as Levi stopped the wagon, Mikasa leapt out and ran the small distance to the rubble. She ran a trembling hand through the small blond tuft of hair that stuck out momentarily before throwing a piece of roof from Armin’s body. “C-Captain,” she called out in a voice gone rugged with emotion. “Help me.” Levi was at her side in an instant and began helping clear out all the debris.  As Levi lifted up a particularly heavy wooden beam, Armin’s body fell forward. Mikasa quickly scooped the petite blond into her arms and let her tears of pain stream down her face as she tugged him out of the pile of wreckage.  “Oh Armin,” she sobbed as she clutched the boy tightly. Levi looked at his fallen subordinate with a heavy heart, and decided to sit down. He forced his eyes to look away from the large, bloody gash through Armin’s clothes on his back.

“A-Armin,” Mikasa wept vocally. “You were the b-best of us. The b-brightest. W-why’d you…? I’m not worth it, I was n-never worth it. I-it should’ve b-been me. Why d-did you sacrifice yourself for me?! Y-you were s-so innocent, caring, loving, and i-intelligent. You had dreams, a girlfriend, a-a family. Me, you, and E-Eren- we’re a family damn it! So why?! W-why’d you do this?” Mikasa buried her head into Armin’s cold chest and squeezed him tightly as she wet the body with her tears.

Levi sat in silence next to Mikasa and Armin until the sun began to set. She had quieted down several hours ago and took to touching his face while whispering. He watched her smooth out Armin’s windblown hair and clean his face of dirt and blood the best she could. Once satisfied, Mikasa looked up for the first time since they arrived and sighed. “Levi,” she called in a hoarse voice. “Did I ever tell you how I came to meet Eren and Armin?”

“Yes but only briefly. You chose not to go into detail.”

“Well, I’m going to tell you again then. When I was nine, there were three men who ruined my life. I watched my father get stabbed and bleed out. I also watched my mother try to protect me. Before I could do anything, I ended up watching her take an axe to the neck. I’ll never forget the desperation in her eyes as she stared at me in her last moments. She wanted me to leave, to be safe but I did nothing. They kidnapped me from my home and joked about the perverts in the underground who would pay to have me and some other kids in this wooden carriage as their pets.

“I was traumatized let them take me without restraint. It changed whenever I met Eren. Eren wasn’t scared of the men; he openly fought them. When the carriage began moving, he untied me and urged me to help him and the other kids escape. I decided to help him and created a hole for the other small kids to leave. The hole I made caught fire though and Eren and I became unable to leave because of the smoke settling in our lungs. Then, one of the men came in the back and began to choke Eren for this plan. I came to my senses and attacked the bastard. I killed him myself and threw Eren out of the carriage. I fought and killed the other two for what they did to my parents and waited with Eren as other parents came for their kids.

“After that event, Eren convinced his dad to take me home with them and gave me this scarf. I became his adopted sister from then on. I met A-Armin once we got to Shiganshina. Eren took me to the market to help get shopping done. Having been raised on a farm, I didn’t like the crowds and shouts of people. I ran into an alley and saw Armin getting beat up. At the time I didn’t know who he was but I kicked those bullies’ asses and helped him up. He called me a blessing and thanked me for helping him. H-He said that when I would least e-expect it, h-he’d repay his d-debt. I should’ve known the smartass w-wouldn’t have forgotten,” Mikasa sniffled. She smoothed the blond hair again before sighing to herself. “It’s nearly the end of the day with how long we’ve sat here but Eren still hasn’t come back and Armin’s…dead. I’ve lost my second family, Levi.”

“We don’t know that Eren won’t come back,” Levi immediately blurted out. “He’s going to; he _has_ to. Don’t sell yourself short either. I’ve come to realize that families aren’t just a certain group of people, they grow and change. My family at first was my mother and I. Then it changed when she died to include my two best friends. When they also died, it changed again to include Erwin and Hanji. When I met Eren, he also became a part of it. Granted, every time it adapted to loss, it hurt like hell to move on but I did somehow. Look at yourself: you changed your family to include Eren and Armin after your parents died and Shiganshina fell. But since your time here, haven’t you grown close to Sasha and Connie? Aren’t they also part of your family now? Your family isn’t lost, it’s just changing.” Mikasa rubbed a hand over her eyes and looked at her superior.

“Do you- do you really think Eren’s going to come back? It’s already been a full day,” she whispered while looking intensely at ground.

“I know he will. Any day now, I know he will,” Levi assured, though he couldn’t tell if he was trying to convince Mikasa or himself at this point.

-X-

The next day was dark and overcast when Levi woke in his temporary palace room. He decided to stay in bed shortly before getting up. He stared at the ceiling and sighed. “Where are you Eren?” he whispered to no one. A knock on the door interrupted Levi’s thoughts and he scrambled out of bed to reach it. As Levi pulled the door open, he was greeted by Erwin’s grim face.

“Good morning Levi. You and I are going to escort the King and his staff back here today. The rest of the Survey Corps will be moving back to the base as well.” Erwin ordered. Levi nodded and followed his commander out the door. “Aren’t you going to change your clothes or brush your teeth?”

“My clothes are at the base and there are more important things to be done then being clean,” Levi monotonously replied. The pair walked out of the palace and down the giant staircase. Levi glanced around for a familiar head of brown, wild hair as they walked but did not find one. Before he realized it, they were already on a moving lift headed down. When the cavern opened up, both Levi and Erwin drew in a sharp breath of air. Many of the barracks were decimated and the ground splattered with red. “How did Titans even get down here?” Levi demanded.

“Most likely a hole in one of the smaller, adjacent caves. I just hope the King survived.” The lift came to a stop at the bottom and Levi hopped off. Without waiting for Erwin, he took off for the barracks and looking frantically for anyone. He clicked his tongue as he ran past the ruins of barracks 20-80. He followed the trail of destruction to find a frozen titan standing in front of Barrack 104. Carefully, Levi edged around the Titan and stumbled upon two corpses in the doorway. One had black hair and it seemed that the right side of his face and upper body was clawed away. Lying next to him was the other corpse with two-toned hair and identical claw marks along his back.

“Jean and Marco…” a voice said to Levi. Levi flinched from surprise at the sudden sound and turned to find Grisha Jaeger standing next to him warily. “They led the King and staff inside this barrack and died protecting us. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Levi sighed. He had seen a lot of death in his time but he never felt so _tired_ at seeing it before. “Knowing Marco, he would never be able to forgive himself if anything ever happened to you on his watch. I bet Jean went after him. Do me a favor and take their bodies above ground.” Grisha nodded and began to fulfill Levi’s wish as Levi walked into the barrack. He walked back into his and Eren’s room and paused slightly in the doorframe. The bed was still messily made by Eren and the closet door remained ajar. Levi swallowed hard and forced himself to walk to the closet to pick out a dark outfit for the funeral later. He managed to find a dark red, nearly black, set of robes to wear and laid it back on the bed.

Levi stripped quickly and made a beeline for the showers. He jumped in and began to scrub his skin so aggressively, he wouldn’t be surprised if there would be bruise marks later. He just wanted to forget everything and wake up from this nightmare. He wanted to wake up with Eren’s arms around him, holding him tight and whispering sweet nothings in his ear. Levi didn’t realize he was crying until he began to scrub his face raw. As the water ran over him, Levi let his tears take over and pounded a fist on the shower wall. “Where are you Eren? I know you’re not dead. You can’t be,” he gritted out, refusing to let his voice waver.

\--- ---

Levi, along with every other member of the Survey Corps, made his way back above ground for the mass funeral and burial. There were three large wooden square structures that he knew held the bodies. As the soldiers got into straight lines, Levi walked to the front where Erwin stood. Once everyone was quiet, save for the occasional sniffle, Erwin began to speak.

“Tonight, we have come together to celebrate the lives of these great soldiers who gave their lives for mankind. It is because of their sacrifice that we are all still standing today. We are not the only ones grieving tonight. All around the world, very good people have died. I will read their names in a moment but first, let me say thank you. Thank you to all those standing here right now who followed out my every order. Thank you to all those behind me who died accomplishing their duties.

“We will remember: Captain Mike Zacharius, Nanaba, Captain Dita, Thomas Wagner, Krista Lenz, Armin Arlet, Jean Kirstein, Marco Bott, Samuel Linke-Jackson, Nac Tius, Mylius Zeramuski…” Erwin continued to speak from the seemingly never ending list. Levi stood silently and still as the list was read. He felt slightly relieved when Hanji’s name was not read but he still couldn’t help the sinking feeling in his gut about Eren. He mentally shook his head and focused on Erwin’s words as he heard him speak more than just names.

“If a name was not read from this list, then we have reason to believe that they are alive. However, the one who allowed for our victory, Avatar Eren, is missing in action.” Levi curled his hands into fists tightly but did not allow himself to shake. He could feel the burn of several eyes staring at him though. “We can only hope for his return. This funeral is concluded but you may stay for however long you wish,” Erwin declared before turning to Levi. The smaller man let out a shaky breath and approached the three wooden squares. He summoned fire to the palm of his hand and carefully set it upon the first white sheet. Immediately, the sheet caught fire and began to spread until the entire square was ablaze. He repeated the action to the other two squares and watched the fires burn. He heard others approach him and he glanced from the corners of his eyes as Mikasa, Sasha, Connie, and Ymir sat down next to him. Slowly, he too sat down and they all watched the fires burn until there was nothing but cinders and ash left.

**_2 weeks later…_ **

Instead of helping to restore Ba Sing Se, Levi stayed at HQ and sat at the edge of the waterfall with Mikasa. They were beginning to enjoy each other’s silent company and had begun to do many more tasks other than train with each other. Today though, Levi could tell Mikasa was tense.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her.

“I… I can’t do this Levi. I can’t keep hoping for Eren to come back when he’s not going to,” she painfully admitted. Levi whipped his head to stare at her with wide eyes.

“But-“

“I can’t! I love Eren, I really do but I can’t keep this false hope. It’s killing me and I need to move on from…from his death. I’m sorry.” Levi kept quiet in shock as he watched Mikasa leave him. He looked down at his hands and gritted his teeth. Mikasa, such a strong young woman, was giving in to her despair; to what everyone kept telling him: Eren isn’t coming back. But Levi couldn’t believe them. He could not willingly believe that Eren, his love and world, was dead; and he wouldn’t believe it until he held Eren’s cold body in his own two hands.

“I thought I’d find you here,” a familiar voice called out to him.

“You do think a lot Hanji,” Levi tiredly answered back. The waterbender limped to where Mikasa was sitting only moments prior and sat down with a sigh.

“I heard about Eren,” she began. “I wanted to see how you were holding up.”

“I have to go find him,” Levi told her as he turned to face her. He noted that Hanji’s face was covered in bandages and he only saw one leg but he decided not to comment about her appearance just yet.

“I also thought you’d say that.” Hanji sighed again as she wrapped a hand around Levi’s. “There are no portals open to the humans anymore. The spirits went and sealed them off. I think they will be sealed for a while; it’s not just the humans who have to rebuild from the damage the Titans caused.” Levi groaned and ran his free hand down his face.

“What the hell happened in your region?” Levi questioned.

Hanji laughed and replied, “It went to Hell about an hour in. Moblit had to lead everyone since I lost my left eye and leg!” She cackled again and wiggled her stump. “I want to teach myself how to waterbend from a stump! It’ll be so cool!” For the first time since the night before the Battle, Levi cracked a small smile at Hanji’s enthusiasm.

“You crazy woman,” Levi muttered to Hanji’s delight.

“I may just be,” Hanji giggled before squeezing his hand. “I’ll also be here for you. If you need me, come find me alright?”

“Alright.”

**_4 weeks later…_ **

            Levi rolled out of his bed exhausted. It had been 6 weeks since the battle and Eren still hadn’t come home to him. Every day was getting harder and harder to even leave the room. As he walked into the bathroom, he looked at himself in the mirror. He had lost a lot of weight and his eyes held dark bags under them. Tearing his eyes away from the mirror, Levi stepped into the shower and scrubbed himself quickly. The shower was relatively quick and within 5 minutes, Levi was out the door of the Barrack to grab a moon peach. He felt the judging stares that practically screamed “I pity you” or “poor man; he just can’t accept it” directed at him but Levi shrugged them off. He had gotten used to them after the third week.

Levi was still walking to the dining hall when it happened. There was a loud explosion that came from the center of the base and shook the entire cavern. Levi’s feet were taking him toward the sound of the explosion before he even realized it. Judging by the amount of people who literally jumped out of his way, Levi guessed that the desperation was apparent on his face. As he came closer to the square, he was able to make out a crowd of people gathering around something. He was able to identify Sasha and Connie’s excited voice as they shouted out orders.

“Someone find Mikasa and Captain Levi!” Sasha yelled.

“Bring his father too! He should be with Mikasa!” Connie also exclaimed.

Levi pushed himself forward and sprinted the final distance. He shoved anyone standing in his way aside until he broke through. In front of him was Bertolt bending over someone with wild brown hair and pale, golden-brown skin.

 Eren.

Levi felt tears of joy spill over and he moved to Eren’s side. He knelt down and cradled Eren’s face gently. He pressed his lips on Eren’s forehead and brushed his hair from his closed eyes. The crowd was parted again by Grisha and Mikasa, who were both also crying with joy.

“Oh my god, Eren,” Mikasa sobbed happily as she too knelt on the other side of Eren’s head.

“Is there anyone named Grisha here?” Bertolt asked as he stood tall. The man in question stepped forward to face the spirit and looked at him hesitantly.

“That would be me. Can I help you?” Grisha asked. Before Bertolt could speak, his face scrounged up in pain and his form flickered for a moment before he reappeared. Levi and Mikasa looked up as Bertolt came back into form.

“I-I saved Eren from the Fog of Lost Souls. I don’t know how he’ll be when he wakes up but when I found him, he kept saying ‘I forgive you Grisha’ over and over. I don’t know the significance of that but when you’re in the Fog, it is when you are most truthful.” Bertolt paused and flickered out again before reappearing, looking slightly more dazed.

“Bertolt are you fading?” Levi suddenly asked. The spirit in question smiled apologetically.

“I gave up my life to save Eren’s. T-take good care of him for me,” Bertolt managed to give a small smile before he flickered out for a final time. Levi stared at where Bertolt was for a moment longer before he felt Eren stir under his hands. He jerked his head down and watched as Eren groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

Levi stifled a gasp as he watched Eren’s eyes. One was the familiar blue-green shade but the other had changed to a honey-gold hue. Those eyes squinted while they slowly focused on Levi’s face but for some reason, Levi felt nothing but dread in his gut. Eren’s lips moved as he whispered something out but Levi couldn’t hear him.

“What was that Eren?” he asked.  The crowd, Mikasa, Grisha, and Levi all leaned in to better hear the Avatar. Eren blinked and swallowed hard before he repeated his words, this time slightly louder without wavering his gaze from the dark haired man.

“Who are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter is in the works. Thanks for reading! Comments are appreciated!
> 
> 7/12 EDIT: For those who may have been confused, Eren's spiritual body that was created with the spirits of other Avatars, is blinded. Eren's eyes on his physical body are NOT blinded. If you're still confused, send me an ask on tumblr or leave a comment and I'll better explain.


	54. The End is Only the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy is a relative term. So enjoy your 'happy' ending. 
> 
> As an actual summary though, Eren deals with coming back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic of mine started in November as a NaNoWriMo fic. I reached 50K by the end of the month but I thought, why not continue? And continue I did. I managed to write a story that was over 100K and was 54 chapters long; quite the labor of love if I must say so. I honestly must say that I _never_ thought that this little fic, my first actual fic too, would bring over 6,600 people happiness. Thank you from the bottom of my heart truly. Thank you to everyone who read this, left kudos, or left a comment. Without you guys, this would not even have a chapter 2. 
> 
> Sorry for the longer than average wait, I got a bit of writer's block ^0^ and I spent a lot of time making sure it was perfect. Also, this turned into the longest chapter i think I've ever written...over 9K....  
> Enjoy~

            “Who are you?” the young man with messy brown hair asked again while looking at Levi.

            “No, no, no, no, no. Please, you have to remember me! Don’t you know who I am? Don’t you remember Heichou?” Levi pleaded, his voice slightly hoarse. Eren shook his head slowly and tried to roll over onto Mikasa’s lap.

            “M-Mikasa. Who is he? And where’s Armin?” Eren questioned.

            “Wait you know who I am?” she asked in shock.

            “Of course! You’re my sister,” Eren replied. He opened his mouth to say more but instead, let out a loud groan. “My head really hurts. Is Dad home yet?”

            “Uh,” Mikasa looked desperately at Levi. “What should I do?”

            “Take him to Hanji. Maybe she can heal him or something,” he whispered. Mikasa nodded and looked back down to Eren who was on the borderline of passing out. Mikasa gave him a small shake to make the Avatar more alert.

            “Eren can you stand? I’m going to take you to a doctor.”

            “I don’t think I can stand. And can’t we wait for Dad? He’s the only good doctor in Shiganshina anyway,” Eren mumbled.

            “Um, he’ll meet us there,” Mikasa assured as she slipped one hand under Eren’s neck and the other under his knees. Carefully, she lifted her brother into her arms and began to make her way to the infirmary. Judging by the sound of footsteps behind her, Mikasa figured that Grisha and Levi were following them.

            “Ow~,” Eren moaned. “My arm and someplace else; they hurt really badly. I think my stomach too.”

            “Sorry Eren. Everything will be better when we see the doctor.” Mikasa turned the corner and forced herself to keep the slow pace as she found the infirmary. Slowly, she made her way into the small building and walked up to Hanji, who was asleep on some papers.

            “Hanji wake up,” Levi hissed behind Mikasa. The brunette stirred and adjusted her goggles to find who called her. She rearranged the newly darkened lens over her blinded eye and glanced over the group of benders. When her gaze landed on Eren, a wide smile split her face.

            “Eren! You’re back,” Hanji squealed happily. Irritable, Eren let out a sigh.

            “I don’t know who you are either,” he groaned. Hanji cocked her head at Eren’s statement and opted to watch him carefully. Suddenly, Eren stiffened in Mikasa’s arms and paled. He lurched forward once and threw a hand over his mouth.

            “Quick, get him to a bathroom!” Levi shouted. “He’s going to throw up!” Mikasa and Grisha quickly hurried Eren over to the nearest bathroom. As Levi went to follow, he felt a warning hand on his shoulder. He glanced back to find Hanji with a strained expression. “Hanji what are you doing? Let me go help.”

            “I don’t think that’s a good idea. At least not until I check him out,” Hanji said with a pained expression. “Something’s not right and I really hope it’s not what I think it is.”

            “What do you think it is?” Levi asked as Mikasa reentered the room with Eren in her arms.

            “We’ll find out right now,” Hanji said under her breath before facing Eren again. “Hello Eren! My name is Hanji. I’m a waterbender and I can heal you up really fast. Before I do that though, I’m going to ask you some questions; just answer them truthfully okay? After we get through that, I’ll check out any other injuries you have okay?” Eren nodded and rested his head back on Mikasa’s shoulder.

            “Can he sit down anywhere?” Grisha asked as he noticed Mikasa’s arms starting to quiver.

            “Oh my apologies!” Hanji cried out. She offered her chair to Eren and he accepted it awkwardly. “Okay Eren, I’m going to start asking some questions. You ready?”

            “Yeah,” he replied hoarsely.

            “Do you know where you are?” Hanji asked with a small notebook and pen ready to write his answers.

            “No.”

            “Have you seen anyone you know since you came here?”

            “Only Mikasa and Dad. Speaking of which, have you seen my friend Armin?”

            “No I haven’t seen him,” Hanji answered quickly before continuing. “Do you know what Titans are?”

            Eren raised an eyebrow at Hanji’s question. “Uh, no offense but do you think I live under a rock? Of course I know what a Titan is. The world will be much better once the Avatar defeats them though.”

            “Eren, do you know who the Avatar is?”

            “No. No one does since Avatar Ilse died,” Eren answered as if it was obvious. Mikasa, Levi, and Grisha all exchanged worried glances at each other at Eren’s reply.

            “Okay and final question. What is the last thing you remember?” Eren scrounged his eyebrows together while he thought carefully. 

            “Um, Dad just got back from a trip to some small trading town. He said he was going to leave for Ba Sing Se in the morning and then he left to pack. Mom and I were training in the backyard while Mikasa was out with her teacher. I- I think Mom was going to make my favorite for dinner too. After that,” Eren paused as he tried to think. “I feel like I’m missing something- something really important. But… I can’t remember anything else happening. Sorry.”

            Hanji scribbled down multiple notes before she snapped her little notebook shut and stood up. “That’s okay Eren! Thank you so much for that! Now where did you say you felt hurt?”

            “I can’t really feel my left arm. My stomach keeps acting up, and there are other places I can’t move or feel but I can’t identify them,” Eren spilled. “I don’t know how this all happened though. Maybe I fell down some stairs?”

            “Do your eyes hurt at all? Is it harder to see or blink?”

            “Um, no.” Hanji quickly opened her notebook again to scribble another note before she put it away and smiled at Eren.

            “Here, I’ll put you in healing pond and let some water soak into your injuries before I start to fix you up. Sound good?” Hanji offered. Eren began to nod but quickly stopped and opted for a thumbs up sign instead.

            “Can I sleep in that pond?” Eren questioned.

            “Absolutely,” Hanji assured him.

            “Okay then I’ll go now. I still can’t walk though.” Eren admitted. Before he could even protest, Eren was scooped up into Hanji’s arms. “H-hey,” he started nervously. Hanji did nothing to calm his nerves and instead, decided on cackling as she led him away. The moment Eren left the room, Levi burst.

            “What’s wrong with him? It’s like he doesn’t even know the past year happened,” he hissed.

            “He doesn’t even remember his hatred for Grisha,” Mikasa pitched in. “That or the fact that Mom is dead.”

            “I think he has amnesia,” Grisha announced. “It makes most sense since it is his memories he doesn’t have.”

            “Psychogenic amnesia to be specific,” Hanji butted in as she strolled back into the room. “It is what I feared so you all need to understand something: Eren doesn’t remember _anything._ I just tried to heal him by putting healing water around his head and ears but even that didn’t work. Anything from the past year, I believe, he doesn’t remember.”

            “Is there anything we can do?” Levi demanded. “Is there a way to get it back?”

            “I wouldn’t want to try anything just yet. Listen, with psychogenic amnesia, the person unknowingly places a wall around certain memories. Those memories might have something to do with a very traumatic event. For Eren, I’m certain that his fight with that Beast Titan is what triggered this to happen,” Hanji explained. “It makes sense in his perspective as well. If the final battle is what triggers you, to forget everything that had to even remotely do with that battle is easiest in the mind. Correct me if I’m wrong but ever since Eren’s mom died, he’s been set on this end goal of killing all the Titans. If you eliminate anything that he did to achieve that goal or what occurred to make that goal surface-“

            “Then you wake up thinking that you’re still in Shiganshina with no idea about the Survey Corps,” Levi finished for her. Hanji nodded grimly while Levi ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. “So does that mean he won’t know about our relationship either?”

            “Chances are no. I’m sorry,” Hanji admitted.

            “You said that you wouldn’t want to try to do something to jog his memory just yet,” Mikasa spoke up. “Does that mean that we can treat this?”

            “There are treatment methods but, I really don’t think it’s a good idea.” The waterbender held her hands up to stop the onslaught of comments from both Levi and Mikasa before she continued. “You’ve seen how the soldiers were after the final battle! They all were horrified and devastated. That was after only one fight against Titans. Eren would be remembering the fall of Shiganshina, finding his dead mother, the fight in Trost and losing everyone in Levi’s first squad, every fight in the Spirit World, _and then_ the final battle against Beast. I don’t want to force that all that on him.” Levi grit his teeth and folded his arms tightly across his chest as he listened to Hanji. “There is good news though! Usually, the patient remembers everything on their own with some time. Most cases last only a few weeks but I’m sure Eren’s is more severe than theirs. His will last most likely a bit longer.”

            The four stayed quiet for a moment before Grisha spoke up. “Is he okay physically?” Hanji ran a hand over her face and sighed.

            “No, he’s not. I’m not going to give you false hope about how it isn’t that bad. Truthfully, I’m surprised he’s not dead. The bones in his left arm are shattered. I can heal them, but he’s probably not going to be able to use it the same way again.” Mikasa placed her head in her hands as Hanji continued with the list of damages on Eren’s body. “Multiple broken ribs, broken nose, a fractured leg, and some internal bleeding that’s making his stomach hurt. I can heal all of this and I’m going to have a team of my best healers on him at every minute. Until he’s able to run on his own, I’m going to have him stay here.” Grisha sighed in relief.

            “Wait, what about his eyes?” Levi asked. “He has two different color eyes now; is that a side effect or something?”

            “I don’t know why his eyes changed,” Hanji admitted. “Scientifically, losing your memory doesn’t affect your eyes at all so I don’t think it’s related to that. How did you even find Eren?”

            “Bertolt sacrificed his life to pull Eren out of that fog pit and bring him here,” Mikasa told her.

            Hanji nodded before running a hand through her untidy hair. “Maybe it’s because he fell in the fog? Ask him once his memories are back; it may be an experience he remembers.”

            “Thank you for this so much Dr. Hanji,” Grisha told the woman before reaching to pull out his wallet. “How much do you charge? I’ll pay any amount.”

            “No my services are free!” Hanji quickly told him. “If you want to show me gratitude, just get me a wheelchair. This whole, bending-when-I-need-to-walk-ever-single-day thing is getting old,” she laughed as she brought her blue robe up to reveal a leg made from water attached to her stump. “Have any of you eaten breakfast yet?” she suddenly questioned.

            “I was on my way to when Eren came back,” Levi answered.

            “I was showing Grisha around the base when someone came up to us about Eren too,” Mikasa replied. “I don’t think any of us ate.”

            “Oh great! Do me favor and get some food for me please? The stuff here is for the patients, so it sucks.” Hanji pleaded earnestly.

            “We’re not going to leave Eren after just getting him back,” Levi declared.

            “Go now while you have the chance. He’s asleep right now and the only thing I’ll be doing to him is healing. He’s in good hands and you don’t want to be distracted by something so petty as being hungry when he wakes up,” Hanji pointed out. Levi debated the healer’s words before he finally let out a heavy sigh.

            “Fine,” he drawled out.

\--- ---

            Nearly 20 minutes later, Levi found himself seated across Mikasa and Grisha in the dining hall. The trio ate quietly together until Levi cleared his throat awkwardly. “Um, I’m not really that good with introductions but my name is Levi Ackerman.” Grisha looked up from eating his cabbage salad with kind eyes.

            “Of course I know who you are, Mr. Humanity’s Strongest. Say, Mikasa isn’t that your last name? Ackerman?” he asked his daughter.

            “Yes it is. Levi and I are related somehow,” the dark haired girl replied nonchalantly.

            “I’m also Eren’s boyfriend,” Levi blurted out in a rush. That tidbit threw Grisha off guard; the doctor’s eyes widened behind his eyes. “I figure we should, I don’t know, get along or something sappy like that.” Levi quickly picked up his tea next to his plate and raised it to his lips. “Eren would want us to do that.” He took a quick sip before placing his teacup back down.

            Grisha opened and closed his mouth several times before he finally spit a question out. “Eren’s…gay?”

            “Oh shit! I didn’t mean to out him. I just thought that you should know I was dating him. Oh fuck, he’s going to kill me when he gets wind of this,” Levi swore aloud. When he took in Grisha’s bewildered expression and Mikasa’s teasing grin, he cursed again. “Fuck. Well, this went horribly.”

            “No! No, this is going fine,” Grisha tried to assure to soldier. “I- you- it’s just a lot to take in at once, you know?”

            “Well, since Levi is doing an _awful_ job talking about himself,” Mikasa budded in and chuckling at Levi’s half-assed glare. “I’ll just do it for him. Levi is a short, blunt to the point of being rude, old man who also happens to be the best thing that’s ever happened to Eren. I’ve seen the way they look at each other, and even if Levi’s too embarrassed to say it right now, everyone knows they’re in love.”

            “Oi, I’m not that old or short or embarrassed to say that I love Eren and I’ll do anything for him,” Levi shot back. “Other than that, you’re pretty much spot on. People like to call me a bit of an asshole with a filthy mouth but I take it as a compliment now.”

            “Wait, how old are you Levi?” Grisha asked.

            “I’m 28,” Levi replied honestly. “And yes, Eren is aware of our age difference.”

            Grisha stayed quiet as he finished his small salad. When he was done with his meal, he stood to leave. Then, he addressed Levi calmly. “I don’t know how Eren will react to me when he regains his memories so I wouldn’t be surprised if he thought my opinion was worth, excuse my language, shit. If it is of any value to _you_ however, I want you to know I approve. It’s written clearly in your eyes how you feel about him.” With a warm smile, Grisha left Mikasa and Levi at the table.

            “Shit, I forgot to tell him about your cleaning obsession,” Mikasa cursed.

            “I should have your head for calling me short,” Levi seethed.

            “Asshole,” Mikasa joked as she finished her drink and stood.

            “Thank you,” Levi replied as he too stood and prepared to leave back towards the infirmary.

-X-

            Visiting Eren in the infirmary became part of Levi’s daily routine. Each morning he brought him an apple and moon peach, ran a hand through his hair, and left promising to return before the end of the day. And when he would visit at the day’s end, he left promising to return in the morning. Even if Eren didn’t really know who he was, Levi wanted to show him that he could rely on him. And true to his word, Levi managed to see Eren every single day for three weeks without fail. Each time he visited, he noticed the telltale signs of improvement: the lessening amounts of ace bandages and ice packs, more room to move about, and the switch from casts to slings.

            However, one morning when Levi walked in, he found Mikasa and Hanji to also be in the room. Hanji was holding a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other while sitting in a royal blue wheelchair positioned in front of Eren’s bed. Mikasa was sitting in the only other chair next to Eren’s bed and was stroking his hand.

            “What’s going on?” Levi asked timidly before placing the fruit on the bed.

            “I want to know what’s wrong with me!” Eren yelled. “I know there’s another reason other my physical injuries but Hanji won’t tell me.”

            “Eren,” Mikasa warned.

            “It’s my body so tell me what’s wrong with it! I keep feeling like I’m forgetting something but I don’t think I am and it’s driving me crazy,” Eren angrily explained.

            “Okay okay, I’ll tell you,” Hanji conceded. “I didn’t tell you this before because I thought the effects would’ve worn off by now. You have a severe case of memory loss called psychogenic amnesia. Judging by answers you’ve given me from questions I asked before, it seems that you don’t remember about a year’s worth of events.” Eren stared at the woman with wide blue-green and gold eyes.

            “W-what?”

            “You see, the events that caused this were too traumatic for your mind so it essentially created a wall to block any memory having to do with that trauma. You’ve met everyone in this room before and we’ve all grown pretty damn close if I must say so. You just don’t remember it. Typically psychogenic amnesia doesn’t last this long and with any hope, you’ll be back to your old self soon,” Hanji explained bluntly.

            “So…so you’re saying that I know you and it was from before I got all fucked up?” Eren hesitated. When Hanji nodded, Eren’s face paled. He glanced over to Levi standing next to his bed. “T-then how did I know you?”

            “Hanji took you under her wing for a while so that’s how you two got to know each other. As for you and I, we’re together,” Levi cleared up with a gentle tone. Though it seemed nearly impossible, Eren’s face paled even more.

            “O-okay,” he whispered while taking a deep breath. Eren ran his non-bandaged hand through his hair roughly, making the strands of brown even more disorganized than usual. “I need some space. Could you all…leave? Please?” Hanji nodded and began to roll herself out of the room. Levi followed her out and cursed when he caught a glimpse of the time.

            “Shit, I have to go. Tell him I’ll be back later,” Levi called out before hurrying out of the infirmary. He was going to be late to a meeting with Erwin. He ran through several streets and alleys between buildings before finally coming to the wall of the mostly repaired Meeting House. With his firebending, Levi quickly scaled the wall and entered the house. Erwin was sitting at the end of the large table with General Pyxis on his left and Levi’s empty chair on his right.

            “Ah, Levi so nice of you to join us,” Erwin spoke while offering the chair on his right.

            “Sorry I’m late,” he replied as he sat himself.

            “Okay what is the reason you’ve gathered us here Erwin,” Pyxis asked, cutting straight to the point.

            “It’s about the future of the Survey Corps. Our purpose and reason we were created, was to find ways to defeat Titans and deal with them whenever they would attack a town. Now, since Avatar Eren defeated the Titans, we stand no purpose to continue to exist,” Erwin explained.

            “So you want to disassemble the Survey Corps?” Pyxis asked incredulously while fishing in his coat jacket for his flask.

            “Yes and no. That’s why you’re here, I want you input. I want to have bases similar to what we have now where I keep a few soldiers stationed all over the world. Since Titans are not the threat anymore, we’d become a peace-keeping group who works with the Avatar,” Erwin proposed.

            “So basically, we’d become the Avatar’s little back up force in case he needs help?” Levi summarized.

            “Yes. Eren is still young and needs more than one year to master all the elements. While he’s doing that, we’ll keep the world safe and end any conflicts between nations.”

            “What about the trainees and others who may just want to go home at this point?” Pyxis offered.

            “Let them. If they do not wish to stay, we no longer have a need for all of them. I think they’ll appreciate that,” Erwin smiled as he realized his idea was becoming more plausible with each passing minute.

            “How are we going to distribute soldiers?” Levi piped. “We won’t need to have the typical four-elemental fighting squads anymore.”

            “I was thinking that it should depend on the location. Firebenders to the Fire Nation; waterbenders to the Water Tribes; earthbenders to the Earth Kingdom; airbenders to the Air Nomads, though I seriously doubt we’ll have a problem with air nomads.”

            “What about Eren? Where would he be?” Pyxis asked.

            “Eren would be with me. I have a house in the Fire Nation. Once he regains his memories, we’re going to move there,” Levi stated.

            “So I take it that his condition hasn’t improved?” Erwin asked Levi.

            The dark haired man rubbed his face warily. “No. Hanji told him about his amnesia today, that’s why I was late. He’s…surprised, for lack of a better word.”

            “Can Hanji fix the problem?” Pyxis questioned.

            “It’s too risky and she may end up scarring him mentally. We have to wait it out and see. Hopefully, he’ll remember us soon…” The silence that fell upon the three men was a heavy one that no one decided to break. Until Pyxis stood and faced Erwin.

            “Good luck with your plan for the Survey Corps. I approve of it. And send Eren my best wishes.” He shook both Erwin and Levi’s hands before departing the room and leaving it silent once again.

            “How are you doing Levi?” Levi scoffed at his friend’s question and smirked bitterly.

            “The love of my life is stuck in an infirmary for who knows how much longer and doesn’t even remember me. How do you _think_ I’m doing?” he snapped.

            “I didn’t mean to upset you-“

            “I know,” Levi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s just so hard to keep thinking positively about all this. I just- I don’t know what to do.”

            For once, Erwin Smith did not know how to help his friend other than patting his shoulder. “Just stay strong. I’m sure things will work themselves out.”

            “I don’t know, considering the last time you told me you were sure about something, you were off by about six weeks,” Levi chuckled while Erwin let out a booming laugh. “About your plan for the Survey Corps though, where would your base be?”

            Erwin waited until he stopped laughing to answer Levi’s question. “One of the bases is going to be on the Crescent Island. Where is your house?”

            “Mine is on Ember Island so it’s not that far a distance. If Eren somehow manages to find that dragon he was looking for, then we’ll be able to fly the distance in about 20 minutes or so.”

            “Alright. Do you want to be on active duty or no?”

            “No. I want to spend time with Eren now; just keep me updated,” Levi requested as he stood from his chair. He bid Erwin a farewell before he left the Meeting House back on route towards the infirmary. However, once Levi finally made it inside, he was stopped by Hanji.

            “Don’t bother. He’s kept everyone out for most of the day,” she told him glumly.

            “What the healers? And meals?” Levi asked.

            “His natural healing is on track so my healers aren’t needed right now. There are already meals in there for the patient. I’m thinking that we should not have told him,” Hanji groaned while pinching the bridge of her nose.

            “No it’s good that we did. Eren would have been pissed if we didn’t. Besides that, it’s his body; it’s his right to be know what’s wrong with it,” the man pointed out. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning. Hopefully, he’s come out of his shell by then.”

-X-

            Eren did not come out of his shell for 2 weeks and if Levi hadn’t burst into his room upset, he would have stayed in it longer.

            “Eren!” Levi yelled as he burst into the room, breaking the feeble lock on the door.

            “Go away! I-I don’t want anyone in here!” Eren tried to yell back but he found that his voice was rough and sore from disuse. Before he could even blink, Levi was in front of him with wide, worried eyes. Eren tried to shove him away, but he could barely move his arm. Since when had he become so weak?

            “You stupid brat,” Levi whispered without malice as he pressed a hand on Eren’s forehead; it was burning. “Have you let anyone change your bandages since you locked yourself out to the world?” Eren tried to lean away from Levi’s touch but all he could do was shake his head. “I thought so; you’re arm or leg is probably infected.” Levi turned from Eren’s face to shout Hanji’s name before he turned back to face Eren. He smiled softly before moving his pale hand from Eren’s forehead to brush his dirty brown locks back.

            Eren stiffened underneath Levi’s touch as it moved to his hair. He felt nearly torn in two: his mind was throbbing as he felt the familiar feeling of memories nearly resurfacing, only to be dragged back behind the subconscious wall. Eren moaned in pain before finally jerking himself away from Levi’s touch and clutching his head. “Eren?” Levi panicked.

            “No stop Levi. Please just stop,” Eren pleaded.

            “What did I do?” Levi asked very confused.

            “It’s everything you do. Every time I see you…I _know_ that there’s something important about you but every time you show your face here, my head almost splits in two,” Eren whined. “A-And it’s hard enough not knowing all these things and having such a large gap in my memory but it’s even worse when you keep acting like we are together. I don’t remember having a boyfriend and I’m sorry if that hurts you. I-I want you to leave. Please.”

            “What do you mean?” Levi asked calmly.

            “I mean that I want you to go. I don’t want to see you down here anymore; it’s too confusing for me. I-If you love me, you would do this…”Eren rasped out. He kept his head down so that Levi wouldn’t see the tears that were falling down his face with each passing word.

            There was a quiet pause before Eren heard a sniffle. His head shot up so fast that he nearly banged it on the headboard of his bed. He felt more tears fall from his eyes as he watched Levi smile through his pain and crying. “You’re right,” Levi croaked out before clearing his throat. “I do love you…so I’ll leave. If that’s what best for you, what you want, then I’ll do it. Just…come home when you remember. Please come home to me, okay?” Levi ran a hand through Eren’s hair once more before he left the room. Even though the source of his confusion was gone, Eren couldn’t help but feel overwhelming sorrow take control of him.

            “Levi wait!” Hanji pleaded as she watched him walk away from Eren’s door with tears in his eyes. “Where are you going?”

            “I’m leaving,” he told her heavily while he paused in the hall and wiped his eyes. “Eren asked me to leave so, I’m going to. I’m going back to the Fire Nation. Tell Erwin so he doesn’t lose his shit.”

            “When?”

            “Now. I’m going back to pack my stuff, then I’m off.”

            “No, Levi you can’t,” Hanji cried out while shedding a few tears of her own. “I’ll miss you…”

            “When Eren remembers, he’s going to come find me. Go with him,” Levi told her simply. Hanji rolled her wheelchair closer to the short man to give him tight hug. Unsurprisingly, Levi stopped her advance with a harsh flick to the forehead.

            “Ow! That hurt, asshole,” Hanji complained lightly as she wiped her own tears away. “Are you sure about this?”

            “Yeah I’m sure. Now go help him, he has a fever. Keep me updated on him while I’m away,” Levi ordered before turning and walking out of the infirmary. Hanji looked sadly at Levi’s retreating back until he was out of sight before she nodded and went to help Eren.

-X-

            Eren was wrong. He felt empty or at least hollow once Levi had finally left. He just wanted to forget about him and make the pain in his chest go away. So the moment Hanji cleared him to start walking and using his leg again, Eren used his new found freedom to his advantage. With Mikasa’s help, he began to walk outside the infirmary for the first time since he had arrived wherever they were. He walked about a block until he tired out and decided to sit. Once he and Mikasa were comfortably positioned on the hard earth, they chatted aimlessly. They talked about everything from Hanji’s weird glasses to Armin’s location (which Eren finally found out from Mikasa’s hesitance that he had moved to an air temple).

            He had managed to forget about Levi and the pain in his chest as he sat with his sister. That was until a young woman with a freckled face and short brown hair walked by muttering about a stupid Captain. Suddenly, Eren shot up and began to tremble in anger. He took a step towards the woman but stopped when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He turned back to see Mikasa’s worried face.

            “Eren?” she asked. “Why did you react like that? What happened?”

            “That woman over there. She called Heichou stupid,” he angrily told her. A flash of something darted over Mikasa’s face.

            “Why are you upset over that? Who’s Heichou?” she prodded.

            “He’s….he’s…” Eren paused. Why _was_ he so upset? He felt like a memory slipped over his “wall” briefly before retreating back, where he could no longer recall it. “I-I can’t remember anymore…damn it.” He slumped back against Mikasa’s shoulder, feeling tired from his small fit. “Can we go back to the infirmary?” To both Hanji and Mikasa’s disappointment, he did not ask to leave again.

-X-

            Time was passing, that much Eren knew. How much time was passing was a different story all together. The days seemed to blend together the longer he stayed in his infirmary room but he still didn’t want to leave. It wasn’t until Mikasa barged into his room with a bag in tow that he even bothered to learn the date.

            “Let’s go Eren! You’re finally released!” Mikasa cried out happily. As she enveloped her brother in a tight embrace, he barely moved.

            “What do you mean? I’ve only been in here a few weeks…”

            “Eren,” Mikasa pulled away to look him in the eye, concern written all over her face. “You’ve been in the infirmary for about two months, roughly 8 weeks. It’s the first week of August.” He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and pressed a hand to his temple; thinking like this was hurting his mind.

            “Alright, whatever,” he muttered out. “Let’s pack my shit up then.” Eren swung his legs over the edge of the bed and began putting things he didn’t really recognize into the bag Mikasa brought.

            “Eren are you alright?” Mikasa asked warily.

            “No I’m not,” Eren replied simply. “Let’s not talk about it, okay? Where are we going anyway?”

            “We’re going to go back to barrack 104. We both used to live there so maybe the environment would help jog your memory,” Mikasa answered while still eyeing Eren carefully.

            “Oh,” he sighed as he zipped the bag closed. “Let’s go then.” He let Mikasa lead him out of the room and past Hanji’s desk. They walked out of the infirmary and onto the earthen roads.

            After a few short turns, they came to a long barrack. Eren felt hesitant as he pushed the door open to reveal a small rooming space that was enough for 8 people. He felt a wave of nausea hit him as he took in his surroundings but pushed through it. His feet led him to a hallway and another bedroom while Mikasa followed him. Before Eren knew what he was doing, he pushed the door open and froze with wide eyes. There was still one large bed in the center and the closet door ajar. Eren could feel the rush of memories pressing against that stupid wall of his. They were so close but so far; just out of his grasp. They were becoming too much though and with a curse, Eren blacked out.

\--- ---

            “L-Levi?” Eren groaned as he regained consciousness slowly. He recognized the black hair and sharp eyes but wait, those eyes were dark greyish with hints of brown. Levi’s were dark silver with hints of blue. “M-Mikasa,” he corrected. It took a few more blinks to clear his vision but it was Mikasa’s anxious face that came into view.

            “Eren? Are you okay? I moved you to the bed but you didn’t wake up,” she blathered on.

            “I’m ok, it’s just a lot to take in,” Eren admitted. Mikasa breathed a sigh of relief before glaring daggers at her brother.

            “Since I know you’re okay then, I can do this.” Swiftly, she punched Eren’s arm…hard.

            “Ow! What was that-“

            “What the _fuck_ Eren!” Mikasa shouted. “I asked Hanji if this would trigger you in anyway and she said that since you were working on remembering things, the familiar environment would only encourage you. The only way this would trigger you would be if you weren’t trying to remember anything. So what the fuck? Have you been trying at all?”

            Eren glared at his sister and looked away. “It’s hard to remember a year’s worth of shit, Mikasa.”

            “And it’s even harder having to care for someone whose mind is going a year behind everyone else’s. What _is_ it with you?” she yelled again. “Ever since you got back, you’ve been so weak-willed and selfish. The Eren that I grew up with never gave up on anything. He’d fight or die trying. He wasn’t so selfish that he’d save his ass over anyone else’s. No, he’d sacrifice himself for the greater good. I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re _not_ Eren Jaeger. My brother was a lot better than you could ever be.” With that final word, Mikasa stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

            Eren glared fiercely at the door before dropping his gaze to his hands. It would kill him to admit to it, but Mikasa was right. He wasn’t normally like this. He was being nothing more than a bitter asshole to everyone. “I’m sorry,” Eren whispered to himself and let the first tears he had shed in months fall down his face. He wrapped himself up in the sheets that still smelled faintly of Levi and cried himself sleep.

\--- ---

            “Eren…Eren…Eren!” a voice cried out. He snapped his eyes open to find himself in a blank room. He was lying on a white couch but that was the only furniture he found in the chamber. “Eren!” The boy snapped his head to where his named was called. He saw two women standing a distance away from him. One women had short, black hair and freckles on her cheeks. She also had large eyes that were filled with compassion and grief. “Oh Eren,” she said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner, being in the Fog slowed my progress.”

            “I’m sorry but do I-“Eren began.

            “You know me yes, but I know you don’t remember me. I know your memories are being hidden from you so I brought some help,” the woman said. She stepped aside to reveal the other young woman with chocolate brown hair tied in a loose ponytail tossed carelessly over her shoulder. She wore a dark red skirt with an off-white shirt and apron. Her eyes reminded Eren of home and he instantly recognized her.

            “M-Mom!” he cried out. He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “I-Is this a dream or something? I didn’t see you for so long!” His mother squeezed Eren back tighter and spoke softly in his ear.

            “Yes baby. This is a dream but it’ll be better when you wake up,” Carla assured her son.

            “What are you doing here?” Eren asked he pulled away, smiling brightly.

            “I’m here to make you remember. Let it go Eren; let the pain go.” Carla smiled at him but it was somber. Suddenly, she was no longer in Eren’s arms but several feet away.

            “Mom? What are you doing?” Eren asked. He moved to take a step forward to reach her but it was like his feet were glued down. He looked around for the other woman but she was nowhere in sight; it was just Eren and Carla.

            “You have to let down the wall Eren. Those memories are painful but they are necessary. You need to remember me,” she said.

            “I am!” Eren began to shout, fear creeping onto him. This was no dream, only a nightmare. “I remember you just fine! You were making dinner before I left the house.”

            Carla smiled somberly again before she tilted her head again and continued to speak. “Remember me Eren. Remember how your father left us so you could become great. Remember how Titans attacked our home in Shiganshina. Remember how a boulder crushed our house! Remember how you found me the next day, dead underneath that rock!”

            Eren’s eyes widened at his mother’s words in horror. “N-no! Y-You’re still alive! I can see you right here!”

            “I’m a spirit Eren. I am dead,” Carla confirmed. “Why don’t you remember us? Look _at_ your pain; don’t turn away! You must remember all of us Eren!” Eren threw the heels of his hands into his eyes. He wanted to block out what his mother was telling him. He didn’t want to remember.

            “ _The Eren I grew up with never gave up! My brother was a lot better than you could ever be.”_ Mikasa’s harsh words flew through Eren’s mind. This was it, he had to prove to her that he was _that_ Eren. He wasn’t selfish. He wasn’t weak-willed. So Eren braced his mind and thought on his mother’s words. Immediately, flashes of people and scenes danced behind his eyes. He saw his mother, covered in blood.

            “Remember every single person Eren! Remember how Petra took you in and how she was crushed by a Titan. Remember how Oluo and Eld were rammed together saving Sasha and Connie’s lives. Remember how Gunther died saving Armin! Remember how you lost your second family Eren,” Carla was shouting now.

            With each name there was a new face that flickered behind Eren’s eyes. A face, a story, a _memory._ He remembered Petra and Oluo’s bickering and Eld’s hospitality. He remembered getting mugged by Sasha and Connie, an unlikely start to their friendship. He remembered all of Trost and the tunnel, the path to finding Hanji.

            “Remember how you fell in love. Remember every moment you ever spent with Levi. Remember the love of your life, the one you gave everything to. Remember how you sealed him out of the Spirit World for his own safety. Remember the way he cried when you came back after being missing for so long. Remember how much he loves you.” Carla shouted again.

            Instantly, Eren doubled over as memories of Levi surfaced. Each touch they shared, their stupid banter, their first kiss, their first time being intimate, the first time Eren told Levi he loved him, and the first time Levi reiterated those feelings. Then he remembered how he had pushed him away, told him to leave and shut himself away from any mention of Levi. Eren felt as if someone slapped him as he realized that he hadn’t even spoken to Levi in nearly 2 months. For all he knew, he could be dead. The guilt was suffocating him.

            “Eren, remember the Battle of Ba Sing Se too. Remember the people that died, and remember what you did to save the world,” Carla now whispered. Despite her distance, Eren heard her words loud and clear, as if she was behind him. “Remember that you’re the Avatar and that I’m so proud of you.” With those final words, Eren felt the wall in his brain crumble and all his memories came rushing back to him.

\--- ---

            Eren woke to hearing someone screaming as loud as they could. He soon realized it was himself that was screaming once Mikasa burst into his room with wide eyes along with Ymir, Sasha and Connie. “Eren!” Mikasa shouted. “What’s wrong? What is it?”

            “I-I-I,” Eren stuttered, shaking too hard to speak properly. “B-b-b-back. T-they’re b-b-back.”

            “Eren, you’re not making sense,” Mikasa frantically told him while trying to calm his shudders. “Do you want something to help you calm down?”

            “I’ll go make some tea,” Sasha offered. At the mention of tea, Eren froze. He understood what he had to do.

            “Levi. I have to go to Levi. I know where he is, I need to go to him right now,” Eren demanded. He tried to swing his legs over the edge of the bed to stand up but Mikasa stopped him.

            “Eren! What’s going on? You’re jumping form subject to subject and I don’t understand!” Mikasa pleaded.

            “My memories are back! I remember everything: Shiganshina, Trost, Ba Sing Se, and the Survey Corps. I remember how I shut Levi out of the Spirit World after I said goodbye to you and Armin. And-“Eren cut himself off as he realized that out the 9 people in the other room, only 4 were there with him. “Wait, where is everyone?”

            Mikasa looked away while Sasha and Connie looked glumly at their feet. “They’re dead,” Ymir spat out. “Armin, Jean, Marco, Krista, and Thomas didn’t survive the Battle of Ba Sing Se.”

            “W-What?” Eren’s enthusiasm from earlier faded as Ymir’s harsh words sunk in. His childhood friend, his best friend…gone. “No…”

            “I’m sorry Eren,” Mikasa whispered. “He died saving me…”

            “No, stop,” Eren choked out. His voice was still hoarse from his screaming earlier. “Armin wouldn’t want this. If he saw this, he would probably slap me for being so damn emotional. He’d want us to be happy, to move on. And Mikasa,” Eren started. “I’m sorry. I was acting like an asshole before and that wasn’t fair to you.”

            “Eren, it’s okay. I forgive you,” she replied with a smile. “Now what do you want to do?”

            “Take me to Hanji. I need to know if Levi told her anything.” Mikasa nodded before fixing him with a curious gaze.

            “Okay, let’s get going then but Eren,” she paused for a moment before looking him in the eye. “Are you really okay? I thought you’d be furious or something about Armin. You seem pretty….calm.”

            “Before the battle started, I had come to terms of the fact that when I came back, some of you weren’t going to make it. I didn’t really want to imagine you or Armin…dead but that’s war. I mean, we’ve been lucky that we managed to stay together and alive for so long on the front lines. Let’s just put this war behind us; maybe we can live out Armin’s dream and find that library someday,” Eren chuckled sadly as he climbed out of bed. He stumbled briefly before catching his footing and standing tall. Then, he took a deep breath and ran out of his room and out the barrack. Eren cringed slightly as he ran on his stiff leg and cursed himself for not having left his bed in the infirmary more often.

            “Eren slow down!” Sasha whined from behind him. “You’re running almost faster than the wind!” Eren didn’t bother listening to his friend once he saw the infirmary. There was a soft glow coming from a window so he figured Hanji must still be inside. He came up to the door and began pounding erratically. By the time Mikasa and the others caught up to Eren, Hanji opened the door with a surprised expression from her wheelchair.

            “Eren? What are you doing here this late? It’s nearly two in the morning,” the waterbender asked.

            “My memories came back when I was asleep. Please tell me you know where Levi went!” Eren begged.

            “Here, come in first so that we don’t wake everyone. I’ll make some tea or something,” Hanji began to explain. She ushered all 5 of them into the small building. Hanji filled her small tea kettle with water and handed it off to Mikasa for her to heat. “Okay, I don’t know that much to be honest. Levi only told me that he’d be in the Fire Nation. I think he’s under the impression that you know what he’s talking about,” Hanji admitted. “Did he say anything to you that didn’t make sense at first but now that you think about it makes sense?”

            Eren thought hard. He didn’t generally like to remember their temporary split but if would help him now, he would remember every second. “Y-yes! He said to ‘come home’ to him. His mother’s house! I remember now, Levi has a house in the Fire Nation! He didn’t tell me where though. Damn it!” Eren growled.

            “That’s okay Eren! I know where it is so I can take you there,” a familiar voice said as they clamped a hand down on his shoulder. Eren’s breathing stopped as he looked up to meet friendly blue eyes and shiny blond hair. Armin grinned at him as realization dawned in Eren’s eyes.

            “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?” Eren screamed as he lurched away from Armin’s touch to Mikasa’s feet.

            Armin doubled over and laughed so hard that tears escaped his eyes. “A-Annie. Come out here, it was totally worth it!” he called. There was a small flash of light and the other blonde appeared next to Armin with a small smirk.

            “I told you he wasn’t going to take it well,” she chided. Annie looked apologetically at the stunned humans and began to speak. “I can explain this.”

            “YOU BETTER!” Mikasa yelled, her fire underneath the tea kettle turned a dangerously bright blue. “ARMIN DIED. HOW IS HE HERE?”

            “When I felt Armin’s spirit pass from the Earthly realm, I went to see him,” Annie began. “I knew that because of the life he had lived, he probably could keep his body as a spirit and live with me. So I went and asked him to come with me.”

            “I accepted her offer and went through some really weird shit if I must say so,” Armin continued. “After I finally became a spirit with a body, I realized that the battle was still being fought against the Titans. I couldn’t really do much so I helped heal Annie’s injuries. Then, Bertolt staggered over to us. He said that Eren had fallen into the fog and would die there but he knew a way to get him out. Annie was immediately against the idea because she knew that as a portal guardian, Bertolt couldn’t die without causing serious repercussions to both the Spirit and Physical Worlds. That’s where I came in; Bertolt offered me his position so he could save Eren. I immediately accepted and for a few days, weeks for you guys, he trained me into his position. Once he felt that I could do a decent job alone, he left to save Eren. I followed him because I wanted to make sure you were ok,” Armin explain while glancing at Eren.

            “When Bertolt brought you out, you were really, _really_ fucked up. Like, you looked like shit left in the sun for three days. No offense,” he added sheepishly.

            “No, no; there’s no possible way I could be offended by that,” Eren muttered sarcastically.

            “Anyway, I managed to fix your leg so it was only a fracture and I did the best I could with your left arm. It’s probably not going to work the same though. You never really kept consciousness but your eyes would open every now and then. One of them was a blank white and the other was still your normal blue-green. I guess it was from being in the Fog for so long that your eye changed but I tried to heal it or at least restore the color,” Armin chuckled nervously. “Well, I wasn’t very successful and it turned gold as a side effect from all my spiritual intervention; sorry about that. After that, I let Bertolt take you back to the physical world and I stayed behind.” As Armin paused, Mikasa jumped in.

            “But why didn’t you come back sooner? It’s been nearly three months since I thought you died,” she pointed out.

            “Since I _did_ die. Don’t forget, I’m a spirit now, not a human,” Armin corrected. But to answer your question it’s because I was the newest guardian. Every entrance to the Spirit World was sealed for a month our time; I had to bond with the spirits without distractions. I wanted to see you guys but since this is my job for the rest of eternity, I thought it be best if I did it properly on the first day. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you guys so sad,” Armin answered with his head bent.

            “I don’t really care honestly, I’m just glad your back,” Mikasa whispered as she threw herself around Armin effectively crushing him. Eren stood up and joined his sister, squeezing the immortal life from their best friend. They all swayed for a moment before Armin began to wheeze for a breath.

            “Don’t….you…..want…..Levi?” Armin managed weakly. Immediately, Eren let go of his friend and looked him in the eyes.

            “Do you know where he is? Can you find him?” Eren asked desperately, even shaking Armin’s shoulders slightly. The petite blond coughed for a moment before cracking a shit-eating grin.

            “Better than that- I can take you to him. One of the perks of being a guardian of a portal, is being able to _create_ portals. And I just so happen to be able to create one from here to the Fire Nation. Only thing is, I can only take three people at most…” Armin admitted.

            Eren looked at the others in the room. Sasha and Connie sighed and stepped back slightly. “You go on ahead with Mikasa and Hanji,” Connie told him.

            “Yeah, just make sure you tell Captain Levi we love him!” Sasha answered excitedly.

            Eren smiled thankfully at the pair of troublemakers before glancing at Ymir. “What about you? Do you want to come?”

            “No I’m good. Tell him I said he’s lousy at love,” Ymir smirked. Mikasa smiled at Ymir while Eren pouted slightly.

            Hanji rolled up in her chair towards Armin. “Do you think I could run some experiments with you when we come back?” she asked with maniacal eyes.

            “No Hanji, Armin has to do his job,” Annie interjected from her quite place next to him. “Speaking of which, we need to get going or else we won’t be able to stay long.”

            “I’m not coming back with you,” Eren declared confidently. “I’m going to stay with Levi. We’ve apart long enough.”

            “Are you sure Eren? You stuff is still here,” Mikasa pointed out.

            “I won’t need them. It’s just clothes and some other knickknacks. I’ll be fine without them.”

            “Okay then if you’re sure you’re ready, grab my shoulder,” Armin ordered. Eren and Mikasa latched onto one shoulder while Hanji took the other. Eren grinned as he heard Hanji mumbling to herself about Armin’s new body and the properties it could possess. “Okay then. Hold on tight, we’re off!” Armin yelled as they began to fall through the portal he had created.

-X-

            Levi woke up to a frantic beating on his front door. He groaned and glared at the small clock next to him on the windowsill. Its hands were just past 3 AM. “Goddamn it. Who the fuck would bother me at this time?” He sat up and stretched his arms over his head while yawning. Pushing the covers off him, Levi stood and slipped on his red slippers before he walked out of the master bedroom. Levi smirked when he realized he wasn’t wearing much other than his boxers and slippers but if someone came to bother him this early, they were either drunk or important; either way, they wouldn’t care.  His smirk fell away as he felt a slight headache coming from the excessive knocking, no _pounding,_ on his door.

            As Levi walked down the hallway, he turned left and walked into the foyer, opposite of the kitchen. He wouldn’t call his house big. It was a one-story home with three bedrooms and a bathroom. He had repainted the outside so it shone bright red and yellow like it did when he was young. The view is what he liked most; you could see the ocean for miles from the backyard and the all the stars in sky from the roof. He knew that it would be the kind of home Eren would like, should he ever regain his memory.

            Somehow, the pounding outside his door increased in desperation and snapped Levi out of his thoughts. Feeling very annoyed, he clicked his tongue and strode forward to undo the lock and yank open the door. Every cell in his body froze as he took in Eren standing in front of him, fist still out to keep pounding on the door, in a green robe and black boxers standing barefoot on his door with hair so messy it rivaled a boar-q-pine.

            “Levi…” Eren whispered as he gazed at his lover. He took in Levi’s bare and muscular chest, his dark red boxers clinging to his hips, and slightly messy hair.

            “It’s you,” Levi breathed in awe. “You’re back.”

            “Yeah,” Eren smiled and tried to blink back the tears in his eyes. “I’m back Heichou.” Eren stepped forward with his arms out, ready to embrace Levi.

            “Agh, enough with that horrible nickname you brat,” Levi smirked as he too stepped forward and grasped Eren tightly in a hug. He buried his head in Eren’s chest and breathed in his familiar scent. He felt Eren’s chest rumble with quiet laughter and warm, strong arms wrap around his waist, pulling him closer. Eren nestled his cheek against the top of Levi’s soft, black hair and sighed contently.

            “I missed you so much,” Eren muttered, his voice slightly muffled.

            “I missed you too,” Levi replied back to Eren. He pushed back against the brunet slightly and gazed into Eren’s ocean colored eyes. Everything seemed to fade except for the two of them to Levi. He didn’t care how Eren had managed to travel across continents without any decent clothes on or how he wasn’t alone. The only thing Levi cared about was that Eren, _his Eren,_ was finally back. “I’m so glad that you came home to me.”

            “Me too,” Eren answered without a moment’s hesitation before he smiled and bent his head down to press his lips against Levi’s. Levi kissed him back passionately and brought his arms to wrap around Eren’s neck, gently pulling him closer.

            “I love you Eren,” Levi promised against Eren’s lips with a smile.

            “I love you too Levi,” Eren promised back. “Now and forever.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to say thank you again, for every hit, kudos, and comment. You guys are truly the best! Also, I will be changing my Ao3 username from 'Chibinico' to 'Heichous_Poncho' so don't freak out if you see a different name. If you want to talk to me my tumblr is 'chibinico'. 
> 
> OMG GUYS!!!!!!!!! I GOT FAN ART FOR THIS!!!!!!!! AHHHH BLESS THE WONDERFUL NAYAWATA ON TUMBLR FOR DRAWING THESE!!!!!!!!!!! YOU CAN FIND THEM HERE: http://nayawata.tumblr.com/post/128918369200/dont-think-it-happened-in-but-what-i-thought-when AND HERE: http://nayawata.tumblr.com/post/128923044760
> 
> Hehe, i'm planning on starting another fic in addition to "Rock, Scissors, Paper" soon. I'm stuck between choosing two fics to write and post, so here's a short summary of the two:
> 
> -Shatter: (android/robotic AU) Levi Ackerman is a human automaton. He has wires for veins and arteries, oil for blood, but real, organic organs. His mind and brain are unbelievably powerful. He has an average human's social abilities and is smart enough to go wherever he wants in life. He was the perfect system. But when he attends a small robotics class in the local community college of a town called Stohess, his easy going will be put to the test. In that class was a quiet, unnoticed student that Levi couldn't ignore. A student that made Levi feel physically ill if he wasn't there with him. A student with one friend and passed every exam without trying. A student named Eren Jaeger. When Eren and Levi's drastically different yet eerily similar worlds collide, nothing will ever be the same. Through it all, Levi's never felt happier. However, nothing is perfect, not even Levi. His seemingly perfect system has only one flaw. And that flaw will cost him everything he has.
> 
> -Three Wishes: (god/goddess AU) Eren Jaeger doesn't do much. He stays home most days, watches TV, or reads a comic book. Oh yeah, he also is a damn good writer according to reviews. Most people say his writing is so lifelike, that his characters are alive. So when he gives one character named Levi 3 wishes, the last thing he expects is for Levi to turn up at his door the next morning. 
> 
> I most likely will post Shatter first because I already wrote out the first chapter but leave a comment and tell me what you think!


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